Rave Review for “The Rock Star & The Outlaw”

Posted: February 26, 2025 | Author: kayelynnebooth | Filed under: Book Release, Books, Review, romance, Science Fiction, Time travel, WordCrafter Press | Tags: Book Review, Kaye Lynne Booth, Lindsey Martin-Bowen, The Rock Star & the Outlaw | 1 Comment

Three cheers for The Rock Star & The Outlaw! Check it out.

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

Review by Lindsey Martin-Bowen

BOOK REVIEW: The Rock Star & The Outlaw by Kaye Lynne Booth

At first glance, the title The Rock Star & The Outlaw intrigued me. Archetypes spur my interest, and here were two of them. Add to those archetypes, other genres: romance, adventure-thriller, time-travel adventure, and an author hooks me—a tough audience (veteran college/university literature and writing instructor/professional writer and editor).

Within this novel, author Kaye Lynne Booth created an offbeat love story that never lapses into sentimentality or becomes “precious.” Instead, it hooks the reader with precise external descriptions and character’s thoughts, actions, and crisp dialogue—beginning with the initial interplay between the two main characters, “Amaryllis,” a 2025 rock star who encounters “LeRoy,” a cowboy outlaw tossed into the twentieth century from 1887 after he watches a horse for a time-traveler Nick, who lands his time machine into the Old West. (Fortunately for LeRoy, Nick had set the controls to return a user to 2025.) After landing there, shortly afterwards, Cowboy LeRoy met Amaryllis performing at a club—while she attempted to avoid a group of thugs seeking “vengeance most foul” for the death of their leader, Amaryllis’s former paramour, Claude, whom the rock star killed in self-defense.

Although unbeknownst of LeRoy’s arrival and background, Amaryllis was ready for him. Using apt external and internal descriptions of Amaryllis, Booth prepares the reader for her initial encounter with LeRoy.

“She’d donned one of her sexiest dresses—the short black sequinned one with the

low-cut back and oval slits that ran up each side, covering the blue and purple areas on her torso

with foundation, so they wouldn’t be noticeable. This dress never failed to turn heads, and tonight,

that was just what she was after . . . There was no question she’d be sharing her bed tonight.”

After she surveyed the room again, she spotted LeRoy, “the guy she’d locked eyes with up on stage standing at the end of the bar, tall and lanky in his denims. His leather vest was cut to display his muscular biceps through the chambray fabric of his shirt. This guy looked like he just walked out of the pages of a western novel. He wore a red bandana around his neck, a black felt cowboy hat . . .dusty cowboy boots . . . and … ooooh … a gunbelt on his hip, complete with six-shooter. A real live cowboy, right here in the middle of Las Vegas. My, my.”

Obviously, Amaryllis didn’t realize how apt her perception was of a “real live cowboy,” because he perplexes her when he lights her cigarette with a stick match. “I guess you’re just an old-fashioned kind of guy,” she said . . . “I like that.”

Yet LeRoy’s reply, “I guess you might say that . . . Some of this new-fangled stuff is kind of overwhelming to me,” perplexed her. She wondered if he was “genuinely naīve or if he was putting on a convincing act.” Nevertheless, she found him “refreshing and different,” perhaps “even a challenge to get into bed.”

After awhile, when the two of them escaped from the backstage entrance to avoid Claude’s gang-mates, she became frustrated with what she considered LeRoy’s personna, especially after he looked “puzzled” when she asked him to point out his car.

“Look, drop the country bumpkin act,” she retorted and was shocked to discover he’d arrived at the club on his horse.

Meanwhile, when she maneuvered her Corvette like an Indiana-500 driver, applying techniques she’d learned from a former boyfriend, who was a professional race-car driver, LeRoy was impressed.

And thus, the romance took off. Together they loved the speed, the adventure of escaping the gang pursuing her. This ensues for awhile, albeit mainly by horseback. And they fortunately are still riding horses when they hit the setting on the time machine to send them to 1887.

So do they settle in 1887, away from Claude’s gang? Or do they gallop into more misadventures there? Well, dear Readers, I urge to read the novel to discover what happens.

Nevertheless, I offer one hint: At the story’s end, I screamed, “Sequel! Kaye Lynne must write a sequel.”

And guess what? Today, I discovered she did, and it will be available in May. Check out both this incredible novel and its sequel on Facebook’s Global Writers and Poets, artists or on Kaye Lynne Booth’s Writing to be Read at https://www.facebook.com/groups/writingtoberead/

I’ll bet fifty cents you’ll be glad you did.

—Lindsey Martin-Bowen, author

Poetry collections include Where Water Meets the Rock,

CROSSING KANSAS with Jim Morrison,

CASHING CHECKS with Jim Morrison;

Fiction: Cicada Grove, Hamburger Haven, and

Rapture Redux

Chatting with the Pros: Children’s Author, Darlene Foster

Posted: February 15, 2025 | Author: kayelynnebooth | Filed under: Book Review, Books, Chatting with the Pros, Children's Books, Fiction, Interview, Writing | Tags: Amanda in Scotland, Author Interview, Book Reveiw, Chatting with the Pros, Children's Books, Darlene Foster, Kaye Lynne Booth, Writing to be Read | 77 Comments

Two women sitting and talking with fantasy background. Dialog bubbles with 'Q &A' above their heads. Text: Chatting with the Pros with Kaye Lynne Booth

I first met Darlene when she sent me a pitch for this interview in response to a call for pitches I put out. I’m always thrilled to meet other children’s authors and I have to say, I really liked her attitude and her approach. I believe children’s authors have the gift of viewingthe world through a child’s eyes, or maybe they just retain more of their own inner child than others do. When I saw her author photo (below), I saw this in her wonderful smile and the sparkle in her eye.

Join me here, in learning more about her and her lovely children’s books, the Amanda Travels Series, (ten books and still more to come). She also writes short fiction, which has been featured in several anthologies, and has a short fiction collection, .

About Darlene Foster

Darlene Foster grew up on a ranch in Alberta, Canada, where her love of reading inspired her to see the world and write stories. She is the author of the exciting Amanda Travels series featuring spunky Amanda Ross, a twelve-year-old girl who loves to travel. All ages enjoy following Amanda as she unravels one mystery after another in unique destinations. When not travelling, meeting interesting people, and collecting ideas for her books, Darlene enjoys spending time with her family in Canada and her house in Spain with her husband and entertaining rescue dogs, Dot and Lia.

My Interview with Darlene

Kaye: Please tell us a little about your author’s journey.

Darlene: Since I was a little girl on the farm, I enjoyed telling stories, often making them up in my head as I daydreamed. My wonderful grade-three teacher suggested I write my stories down. I had a short story published in the local newspaper when I was twelve but didn’t do much serious writing until I was a grandmother. I visited a friend in the United Arab Emirates and had such a great time that I planned to write a story about it. After several unsuccessful attempts, I decided to try writing the story from a twelve-year-old’s point of view. Amanda in Arabia: The Perfume Flask was born. It took me three years to write the book and another five years to find a publisher, but I persisted. In the meantime, I wrote Amanda in Spain: The Girl in The Painting and had ideas for Amanda in England: The Missing Novel. I now have ten books in the series and am working on the eleventh.

Kaye: You are a member of the Children’s Writer’s Guild. Can you tell us how authors benefit from being a member of such organizations?

Darlene: I belong to CWILL BC (Children’s Writers and Illustrators of BC) I love being part of an organization like this as it is important to mix with other authors. One of the many benefits is the sharing of knowledge. It is the best way to keep up to date on the writing/publishing industry which is an ever-changing world. It’s imperative to keep on top of trends etc. These organizations put together workshops and special events, in person or online, and provide marketing opportunities. Because of my membership, I have done in-class presentations all over the world via Zoom. I used to belong to more similar organizations, but there is only so much time to commit.

Kaye: You have a children’s series, the Amanda Travels series. Tell us about the books and the series.

Darlene: Here is the Reader’s Digest version. Spunky Amanda Jane Ross loves travelling to interesting places, meeting cool people and learning fascinating new things. Her curiosity and eagerness to help people often gets her into trouble wherever she goes. Her adventures have taken her to the deserts of Arabia, castles in England, Spain’s sunny beaches, historic cities along the Danube, spooky buildings in New Mexico, the tulip fields of Holland, and mysterious standing stones in Scotland. Life is never dull for this tween.

Kaye: Amanda in Scotland makes ten books in the Amanda Travels books, and in each one she travels to a different country. Would I be wrong in assuming that you have visited all the places Amanda has traveled?

Darlene: You would not be wrong. In fact, I have made it a policy that Amanda can not go anywhere I haven’t been!

Kaye: Which country is your favorite? Why?

Darlene: That’s difficult to answer as I like all of them for different reasons. Perhaps the United Arab Emirates as it was so very different from anything I had ever experienced, and it got me started writing the series.

Kaye: Which country is Amanda’s favorite? Why?

Darlene: Amanda doesn’t have a favourite country. She loves them all and always has a great time wherever she goes. As long as she is making friends,learning new things, and solving a mystery, she is happy.

Kaye: If Amanda goes to a different country each year, how old was she when the series began? How many countries does Amanda go to each year?

Darlene: Amanda turned twelve when she wished for travel and adventure before blowing out the candles on her birthday cake. She stays twelve years old throughout the series. Nancy Drew is the same age in all 34 books. I believe Trixie Belden stays around the same age too. The books are stand-alone and don’t have to be read in any particular order. I prefer writing for tweens instead of teenagers.

Kaye: Where does Amanda plan to travel next?

Darlene: Amanda will be off to Ireland to attend her cousin’s wedding. She will have a fabulous adventure in the Emerald Isle; the land of leprechauns, fairies and dangerous bogs. The working title is, Amanda in Ireland: The Body in the Bog.

Kaye: You are a traditionally published author and the Amanda Travels series is signed with Simon & Schuster. (Congratulations, by the way.) How much of the marketing and promotion for your books are you required to do?

Darlene: The first nine books were published by Central Avenue Publishing, a small independent press in Canada. CAP has recently become an imprint of Simon & Schuster, which is wonderful. I self-published, through Draft2Digital, Amanda in Scotland: The Standing Stones. As for marketing and promotion, I have always done most of my own. I set up book signings and visits to bookstores, schools and libraries, as well as blog tours and social media marketing. I do some marketing every day as it is part of the job. It is great to have a distribution company like Simon & Schuster for bookstores, libraries, and schools to order from.

Kaye: After being traditionally published for nine books, why the switch to independent publishing through D2D?

Darlene: My publisher has decided not to publish kids’ books anymore. We are still on good terms, and I am leaving the first nine books with her. The publishing world is very changeable and as writers, we need to be adaptable.

Kaye: According to your bio, you are an award-winning author. Would you tell us about the awards you’ve won for your books? Which are you most proud of?

Darlene: I have won awards for my short stories, which can be found in a number of anthologies. I’m very proud of my story, The Day Dief Came to Town. It’s based on an hilarious event from my childhood. It was the first prize I got for my writing and gave me the confidence to carry on. I included it in my short-story collection, You Can Take The Girl From The Prairie

Kaye: Your books are available in both digital and print editions. What differences do you see in digital and print sales for children’s books?

Darlene: Initially (15 years ago), I sold 50% e-books and 50% print books. Now it is more like 25% e-books and 75% print books. Kids still enjoy holding a book in their hands, and adults prefer buying print books for them. School libraries like to stock print books, and teachers use the print books as part of their curriculum.

Kaye: What advice do you have for new authors trying to break into the children’s market?

Darlene: Never give up and never stop learning. Search out other writers who can serve as mentors or become part of your street team.

Kaye: Where can readers find out more about you and the Amanda Travels series?

Darlene:

My website https://www.darlenefoster.ca/

My blog https://darlenefoster.wordpress.com/

My Amazon author page: https://www.amazon.ca/stores/Darlene-Foster/author/B003XGQPHA

My goodreads page: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3156908.Darlene_Foster

Thank you so much for inviting me to your blog!

Kaye: You’ve been a wonderful guest. Thank you so much for your candid responses.

About Amanda in Scotland: The Standing Stones

What could possibly go wrong on the magical Scottish Isle of Arran? It’s such a peaceful, charming place with castles, mountains, old graves and ancient standing stones.

Amanda Ross and Leah Anderson are visiting Aunt Jenny who owns an old house on the island. But something is not right. A mysterious woman, who seems to have stepped out of the past, keeps appearing, Leah’s father hasn’t contacted the family for some time, and Aunt Jenny’s house may have an uninvited guest.

Amanda is intrigued by this picturesque island, often called Little Scotland. She watches exciting sheepdog trials, attends a lively ceilidh, makes friends with the locals, and visits the mystical Holy Island. Join Amanda as she tries to solve the mystery of the strange woman and the disappearance of Leah’s father. Will the past catch up with the present?

Purchase Link: https://www.amazon.com/Amanda-Scotland-Standing-Stones-Travels-ebook/dp/B0D5TMLSLC

My Review of Amanda in Scotland

I received a digital copy of Amanda in Scotland: The Standing Stones from the author in exchange for an honest review. All opinions stated here are my own.

Amanda in Scotland: The Standing Stones, by Darlene Foster is a delightful middle-grade mystery reminescent of the Nancy Drew mysteries, with the element of travel thrown in. In the Amanda Travels Series, Amanda is a curious and bright twelve year old, who discover and solve myteries through her travels. Readers are introduced to the various countries she travels to through Amanda’s eyes as she learns about the history and culture of each destination.

This story takes us to the Arran in Scotland, where Amanda visits her travel friend, Leah, and her Aunt Jenny. As the girls explore Arran and the surrounding islands, they meet a mysterious woman, recieve puzzling messages from Leah’s father, and they experience other odd occurances which don’t add up. On an island where many places are reported to be haunted, Amanda determines to follow the clues and unravel the mystery. Like any good mystery, all is revealed by the end of the story.

Foster manages to give vivid descriptions, allowing readers to picture the castles, ruins and landscapes of Scotland in stunning detail, while delighting in the thrill of solving a mystery. I’ve no doubt the other books in the series are just as delightful. A great way for young readers to learn about the world around us. I give Amanda in Scotland five quills.

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About Kaye Lynne Booth

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

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

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This segment of “Chatting with the Pros” 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

Book Review: Truth Games

Posted: February 14, 2025 | Author: kayelynnebooth | Filed under: Books, Review, Suspense, Thriller, Writing to be Read | Tags: Book Review, Caroline England, Kaye Lynne Booth, psychological thrilers, Truth Games, Writing to be Read | 3 Comments

About Truth Games

She tries hard to be the perfect mother, the perfect partner, the perfect daughter – but Ellie never seems to get it right.

When an old friend from university re-enters her life, dark memories from Ellie’s past begin to resurface.

As Ellie starts to unravel some shocking and sinister realities, she realises that she must choose between keeping the family she loves – and facing the truth.

From the Top Ten ebook bestselling author, this twisty psychological thriller will have you hooked from the first page to the last jaw-dropping twist.

My Review of Truth Games

I purchased a digital copy of Truth Games, by Caroline England from Freebooksie. All opinions stated here are my own.

Everyone has secrets, some buried deeper than others. As Ellie Hastings searches for the truths of a past she can’t remember, she uncovers many truths which she’s been hiding from herself. Told from a singular point of view, this introspective tale of deceptions, uncovers the lies and ommisions of those she loves and cares about. Obsessed with learning the truth, Ellie reveals all their secrets, as well as her own, each more devastating than the last.

At first, with all the dreams mixed in with snippets of memories, I thought perhaps Ellie was just a bit paranoid in feeling that the people around her were all lying about various things. But as the story unfolds it becomes evident that she may not be crazy, as her suspicions prove to be true, one by one.

A psychological thriller that keeps readers guessing. I give Truth Games three quills.

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Kaye Lynne Booth does honest book reviews on Writing to be Read in exchange for ARCs. Have a book you’d like reviewed? You can request a review on the Book Review tab above.

Writer’s Corner: My Self-Editing Processes

Posted: February 3, 2025 | Author: kayelynnebooth | Filed under: Editing, Writer's Corner, Writing, Writing Tips | Tags: Editing, Kaye Lynne Booth, Writer's Corner, Writing to be Read | 6 Comments

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

Editors can be expensive. WordCrafter offers editing services at low prices, but even then, the words add up and I wouldn’t say it’s cheap. As an independent author, it’s not always easy to come up with the money to hire an editor, but it is imperative to have another set of eyes go over every word of my manuscript, so I can publish a quality product. As The D.I.Y. Author, I’ve come up with a few methods of accomplishing this without straining my pocketbook too much.

Novel Length Works

For novel length works, once I finish the first draft, I do one pass over of self-editing when the manuscript has sat for a day or two. I’ve heard that it’s important to let it sit for a while, so I do, but I limit the time it sits, keeping the story fresh in my mind. This is where I find the weak spots which need enhancing, embellishing my descriptions and extending or cutting dialog. In The Rock Star & The Outlaw 2: Seeing Doubles, I also used this opportunity to plant little easter eggs which connect back to the first book, for those who have read it.

When that is done, and the necessary edits have been made, I do another run through, reading it aloud. When you read aloud, you catch errors that a silent reader might skim over. Sometimes I can find a beta-listener to help me with this. This is where I do my developmental edit, looking at things like if the storyline flows smoothly, and if my characters are staying true to who they are. My beta-listener doesn’t have to be versed in the craft of writing, because their job is to offer an opinion from the listener’s, or reader’s, perspective.

Only when this is completed is the manuscript ready for a second set of eyes. Editing is a difficult job, and I think it’s important to send your editor or beta-reader as clean a manuscriptas possible. It saves making major changes at the end, too. If I can’t afford to pay an editor, I seek out a beta-reader to do the job. I have a few other authors who I exchange services with who can be called upon for this task.

To finalize, I do a final proof read before I publish, making sure all the ‘t’s are crossed and ‘i’s dotted. During this part of the process I use the editing tool which come with MS Word and ProWriting Aid Everywhere, which are both free and help me spot places which could be worded better and possible misspellings. Both of editing programs are AI powered, but they don’t always agree on corrections, or agree on things which should be changed. And they don’t have the final say. I still reserve the privilage of acceptance or rejection of all AI suggestions.

This system is not fullproof, and I use a professional editor whenever I can. When writing The Rock Star & The Outlaw 2: Seeing Doubles, I referred back to the first book a lot, and found many errors that all of these processes had missed. I’m now in the process of revising and correcting those errors, so I can republish the first book, before releasing the second.

Short Fiction

For short fiction, I follow the same basic processes as novel length works, but because they are collaborative works, it is much easier to get a second, and sometimes even a third set of eyes on each story. When putting together an anthology, I read story individually and request the desired edits from the authors. For my own stories, I recruit a beta-reader to go over it while I’m editing everyone elses. (This is after I’ve read it through twice; once aloud.)

After I receive the revised stories, I put the manuscript together, and give it yet, another read through, checking for any errors which may have been missed. Once it is formatted and ready to publish, I send the entire manuscript out to each of the authors, requesting that they proof read their story and one or two others, so that each story has at least two or three sets of eyes, other than my own, scrutinizing it. This collaborative form of editing ensures a quality product and it doesn’t cost me or any of the contributors anything but our time and keen eyes.

Author’s Note: You can find these editing tips and more writing tips for writing and publishing yourself in The D.I.Y. Author.

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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 “Writer’s Corner” is sponsored by The D.I.Y. Author and WordCrafter Press.

Being an author today is more than just writing the book. Authors in this digital age have more opportunities than ever before. Whether you pursue independent or traditional publishing models, or a combination of the two, being an author involves not only writing, but often, the publishing and marketing of the book.

In this writer’s reference guide, multi-genre author and independent publisher, Kaye Lynne Booth shares her knowledge and experiences and the tools, books, references and sites to help you learn the business of being an author.

Topics Include:

Becoming Prolific

Writing Tools

Outlining

Making Quality a Priority

Publishing Models & Trends

Marketing Your Book

Book Covers & Blurbs

Book Events—In Person & Virtual

And more…

Purchase your copy today: https://books2read.com/The-DIY-Author

Book Review: The Silent Children

Posted: January 31, 2025 | Author: kayelynnebooth | Filed under: Book Review, Books, Suspense, Thriller | Tags: Book Review, Kaye Lynne Booth, Marie Wilkens, mystery, Suspence, The Silent Children, Thriller, Writing to be Read | Leave a comment

About the Silent Children

A gripping journey of a mother’s relentless pursuit through danger and deceit to reclaim her missing son.

In a gripping tale of courage and desperation, Annabelle’s world spirals when her son Fergus is abducted. Teaming up with her husband Benny and best friend Barb, she embarks on a relentless quest for clues. Facing uncooperative local police, they turn to the FBI, uncovering chilling ties to Annabelle’s past and a kidnapper driven by vengeance. With time against them, Annabelle forms an unlikely alliance with a mob boss, both united in a single mission. This intense story captures the fierce determination of a mother fighting against all odds to bring her child home.

My Review of The Silent Children

I purchased a digital copy of The Silent Children, by Marie Wilkens from Freebooksie. All opinions stated here are my own.

I was confused when looking for an image for this book. All I could find is the above image for the box set of 3 books, and the book I read was definitely just a single story about a single child who was kidnapped and his mother’s relentless search to find him.

My first thoughts when reading The Silent Children, was that this was this author’s first book, as there were many typos and logic inconsistencies throughout the story, which had more tell than show. But again, when looking up the book’s information, I was surprised to see that Marie Wilkens has many books under her belt. I just hope they are of better quality than this one.

While there is a good story here, the title alludes to a story of several children in peril, which is what I expected as I picked it up, so the author didn’t really deliver on the promise of the premise. I had trouble with the buy-in because the events portrayed as the distressed mother desperately searches for her son would never actually happen in real life. She would be charged with impeding an active investigation by the FBI, regardless of who her friends were. Of course, it had to unfold that way in order to allow the mother to be the hero, but it is not very realistic to what would happen in real life.

The telling of the story is just that, with a bit of dialog and action thrown in here and there. It doesn’t put the reader in the scene, but is more like a tale told around a campfire. Because of this, I was unable to relate to the character and feel her desperation. As a mother who lost a son to suicide, I should have been able to empathize with this character, and I couldn’t do so, even when I tried. Her feelings and actions just didn’t ring true.

It is a story worth reading, but not what you think from marketing materials. Because there is a good story here, in spite of the misleading title, and the inconsistencies in both writing and promotions, I give The Silent Children three quills.

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Kaye Lynne Booth does honest book reviews on Writing to be Read in exchange for ARCs. Have a book you’d like reviewed? You can request a review on the Book Review tab above.

Everyone is a Critic: Dear Santa

Posted: January 20, 2025 | Author: kayelynnebooth | Filed under: Dark Fantasy, Dark Humor, Everyone is a Critic, Movies | Tags: Dark Comedy, Dear Santa, Everyone is a Critic, Holiday Movie, Jack Black, Kaye Lynne Booth, Writing to be Read | 8 Comments

I think this film is one of the best roles that I have seen Jack Black in. And no, he’s NOT Santa.

But he does make a pretty good Satan.

This 2024 dark comedy holiday film is based on a simple premise: What happens when a misaddressed letter to Santa winds up in Satan’s mailbox instead? And Jack Black is in his element as the demon charged with delivering Liam’s wish and claiming his soul.

Liam Turner, (played by Robert Timothy Smith), is a genuinely nice eleven-year-old kid with learning diabilities. He knows he’s too old to still be writing to Santa, but he just had to try. But he misprints the letters of the addressee of his letter, and his letter goes to Satan instead, summoning a demon to offer him three wishes and claim his soul.

Liam’s family is broken after the death of his younger brother, he’s never been one of the cool kids, and there’s this really cute girl at school… so there’s plenty of stuff that he could wish for. When Liam becomes popular at school and wins the heart of the girl he’s sweet on, things seem to be working out fine. But all things have a price, and when Liam discovers the real score, he decides the price tag on this deal is too high and he refuses to make more wishes.

The demon will go to great lengths to get Liam to make the third wish and seal the deal, and there’s one thing that is worth more to Liam than his soul. To find out what it is, and how it all turns out, you’ll have to watch the movie. No spoilers here.

About Author Kaye Lynne Booth

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This segment of “Everyone is a Critic” is sponsored by The Rock Star & The Outlaw and WordCrafter Press.

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.

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

Review in Practice: “Falling to Fly”

Posted: January 13, 2025 | Author: kayelynnebooth | Filed under: Books, Nonfiction, Review in Practice, Writing, Writing Business, Writing Reference | Tags: Falling to Fly, Kaye Lynne Booth, Review in Practice, Todd Fahnestock, Writing Resource, Writing to be Read | 5 Comments

I received a copy of Falling to Fly, by Todd Fahnestock in the 2024 Novel Writing Story Bundle, and it was so fortunate that I did. This book is a must read for all struggling authors who have fallen more than once, and brushed themselves off to continue forward in pursuit of their writing dream.

This book is essentially the story of the author’s writing journeyThere were so many things that Fahnestock talks about that I could relate to. He talks about the failure of academia to validate genre fiction as legitimate literature. I was fortunate enough to stumble onto Western State Colorado University, where there M.F.A. program deals directly with genre fiction, but it is a rare program. Fahnestock did not let educators rigid viewpoints deter him, but instead rejected the idea of letting educators shape his writing career.

I also related to his “Say Yes to Everything” policy of not letting any writing opportunity which presents itself pass you by. That is what led him to in-person selling at Cons, and sent him on the path to success in his writing journey. Although I have been fortunate to attend a few writing conferences, the only time I had a booth was at the beginning of my own writing journey, before I had any books to sell. If you follow me, you may know that I sold poems on pretty backgrounds at that conference, and was surprised to earn $100 doing it. While that first conference experience didn’t send me soaring up the ladder of success, it did prove that the possiblilities are there when it comes to direct selling. Fahnestock’s experiences just reinforced this for me, reminding me that I’m not going find my success from behind my laptop.

There are two parts to writing as a business, and in order to be successful as an author, you must school yourself in both craft, and in publishing and marketing, which make up the business part. When I graduated with my M.F.A., I was ready to write and create story, and they primed me to enter the world of traditional publishing, which at that point in time, 2016, was the way it was done. But, I was in my forties, and I didn’t feel like I had time to wait years for someone in the traditional publishing to notice how awesome my stories were. They hadn’t prepared me to delve into the world of independent publishing, which at that time, still left a bad taste in most author’s mouths and held stigma in reader’s minds, well. Like Fahnestock, I stumbled through the plethora of information, and misinformation that flooded the Internet, and muddled my way through the independent publishing arena. Unlike, Fahnestock, I didn’t find the answers I was looking for, and I turned back to academia to learn the necessary skills to navigate the independent publishing community.

The author talks about his attempt at the rapid release marketing strategy, and why it didn’t work for him. He surmised that he was only able to keep the hype going for a short period of four months, and that if he could find a way to keep it going year round, he would have seen better success from his efforts. Then, he went out and found a way to do just that, by collaborating on an epic fantasy series with other fantasy authors. I employ a similar strategy by publishing in volume, releasing 5 – 8 books per year, but they aren’t in a series.

I found this book at a serendiptous time in my life, when I’m trying to pull myself up from a period of failures and obstacles over the past two years, and Fahnestock reminds me that I must keep working to achieve my Dream. He reminds me that sometimes it’s necessary to fall in order to fly.

About Falling to Fly

Dreamer. Wannabe. Overnight success. Catastrophic failure. Writer.

Glimpse the gritty, behind-the-scenes struggles of author Todd Fahnestock as he reveals his dreams, trials, and adventures through the creative swamps of writing and the hard-edged world of publishing.

Fahnestock dodges junior high bullies armed with needles taped to Bic pens, cracks into traditional publishing by hitchhiking to the middle of nowhere to meet writing legend Gary Paulsen, and nearly falls to his death hanging cables inside an oil tanker. All to follow the author’s dream.

Submerged in the treacherous, ever-changing ocean of art and business, Fahnestock paints an unforgettable portrait with honesty and touching vulnerability.

Purchase Link: https://www.amazon.com/Falling-Fly-Before-Writing-Dreams-ebook/dp/B0D3KP376H

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About Kaye Lynne Booth

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This segment of “Review in Practice” with Kaye Lynne Booth 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

Book Review: “Stiffs and Stones”

Posted: January 10, 2025 | Author: kayelynnebooth | Filed under: Book Review, Books, Dark fiction, Dark Humor, Fiction, Review, Speculative Fiction, Zombie Fiction | Tags: Book Review, Dan Shamble Zombie P.I., Kaye Lynne Booth, Kevin J. Anderson, Stiffs & Stones, Writing to be Read | 4 Comments

I’m a big fan of the Dan Shamble, Zombie P.I. series, so when I got a review request for the two latest books in the collection, you know I couldn’t turn it down. All opinions stated here are my own.

Other titles I’ve reviewed in the Dan Shamble, Zombie P.I. Series

Horn Dogs: https://writingtoberead.com/?p=37841
Bats in the Belfry & Heart of Clay: https://writingtoberead.com/2023/12/29/book-review-bats-in-the-belfry-heart-of-clay/
Zomnibus: https://writingtoberead.com/2018/07/27/zomnibus-two-zombie-detective-novels-in-one-book/
Double Booked & Bump in the Night: https://writingtoberead.com/2022/07/22/book-reviews-double-booked-bump-in-the-night/

About Stiffs and Stones

Book Cover: Stiffs and Stones
A file cabinet with a gremlin popping out of the top and papers everyehere, with a sexy ghost girlfriend and a zombie P.I. stand and watch, perplexed.
Text: New York Times Bestselling Author Kevin J. Anderson, Stiffs and Stones, The cases of Dan Shamble P.I.

Dan Shamble, zombie P.I. is back from the dead and back on the case in this new collection of eight wacky adventures with enough plot twists and stomach turns to keep you guessing, and chuckling, until the very end.

My Review of Stiffs and Stones

I requested a digital revew copy of Stiffs & Stones from Kevin J. Anderson’s Reader’s Club. All opinions stated here are my own.

Stiffs & Stones, by Kevin J. Anderson is a collection of eight Dan Shamble, P.I. short stories, some which were published earlier, so I chose to focus my review on the stories I hadn’t read and reviewed previously. This collection of undead stories will keep you laughing until the last page.

“Hand Job” is the tale of a disembodied hand who has been framed for a robbery it didn’t commit and it’s up to Dan Shamble to prove its innocence. If there’s one thing the zombie P.I. doesn’t need with this case, it’s a hand. (Although these stories are filled with it, that corney humor is my own.)

“Bull Runs” is the tale of the Meter Maid Minitaur with tummy trouble. It’s up to Dan Shamble to discover the reason the Minituars are all falling ill and stop the debilitating illness before the big charity race.

“Mystery Meat” is the case of the giant Momma Fly with missing baby maggots. This case takes Dan Shamble into the backstreets of the Unnatural Quarter where he uncovers the source of the new and delicious mystery meat being served while searching for the missing tots.

“Holy Balls” is the tale of a warlock whose witchy wife is after his (crystal) balls, and it’s up to Dan Shamble to protect them. But the witchy wife is relentless, and Dan Shamble must use the highest security measures he has to protect the warlock’s balls.

“The Eyeball at the End of the Rainbow” is the tale of an inebriated Leprechaun who has misplaced the eye of the Centuar stoner, leaving him blind and straight until Dan Shamble can solve the case and find the missing eyeball.

Also included are “Bump in the Night”, “Fire in the Hole”, and “Heart of Clay”.

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Kaye Lynne Booth does honest book reviews on Writing to be Read in exchange for ARCs. Have a book you’d like reviewed? You can request a review on the Book Review tab above.

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Want exclusive content? Join Kaye Lynne Booth & WordCrafter Press Readers’ Group for WordCrafter Press book & event news, including the awesome releases of author Kaye Lynne Booth. She won’t flood your inbox, she NEVER sells her list, and you might get a freebie occasionally. Get a free digital copy of her short story collection, Last Call and Other Short Fiction, just for joining.

Writer’s Corner: Writing in Multiples

Posted: January 6, 2025 | Author: kayelynnebooth | Filed under: Books, Character Development, Fiction, Science Fiction, Time travel, Writer's Corner, Writing | Tags: Kaye Lynne Booth, The Rock Star & The Outlaw 2: Seeing Doubles, Writer's Corner, Writing, Writing to be Read | 1 Comment

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

In December, I finished writing the first draft of The Rock Star & The Outlaw 2: Seeing Doubles. This book will be the second book in my Time Travel Adventure Series, and I have to say I have been having so much fun writing it. Time travel is cool to write about, because it is pure fiction, so you have a lot of lee-way in your story, although there are still some scientific parameters that should be kept in mind.

In The Rock Star & The Outlaw, my protagonists created some time-loops, which crossed. In The Rock Star & The Outlaw 2: Seeing Double, they create a few more , intersecting with the time-loops created in the first book. What that means, is there is multiple versions of some characters, and the story is dealing with multiple time lines. While the first book dealt with two alternating P.O.V.s, those of the two protagonists, the second book also deals with multiple P.O.V.s from several different characters.

Multiple character P.O.V.s

This will be the first book I’ve written and published with so many different P.O.V.s. Because I have multiple versions of some characters, I had to differentiate which version’s eyes we were seeing things through. Thus, I ended up with ten different P.O.V.s and I must admit, it was challenging keeping track of which P.O.V. I was in, as well as which time line. My hope is that I did a good enough job with all this to not confuse my readers.

I chose to follow the method used by George R.R. Martin in his epic fantasy series, Game of Thrones. Each chapter has the name of the character whose P.O.V. readers will see the story unfold through. I don’t believe Mr. Martin used anything but the name of the character, but my chapters will also have chapter titles that are, in line with the first book, song titles. And, each chapter has to have a time designated so that readers won’t get confused about what time they are in, as well.

Multiple Time Lines

Writing about time travel, and thinking about time travel, and trying to reason out how things would work if time travel were real, can be enough to give an author a migraine. I admit there were times when I had to set the writing aside because it almost hurt to try and wrap my brain around the implications. But, mostly, it was just fun trying to figure out what would be possible and what wouldn’t.

When I first started writing this second book, I thought the first book was written and done. But by crossing time-lines and changing things in previous time lines, I realized my characters changed what happened in the first book. Each thing they change in the time line from the first book, changes things that happened in that story, and I found that it changed the way the first story comes out. So, I ended up rewriting the first story with an alternate ending.

Multiple Versions of Characters

This was where writing the second book got really confusing. With two Amaryllis and three LeRoys, all running around in different timelines, things get crazy. As mentioned above, each version of the character is designated with a different moniker. The characters from this second story are Amaryllis and LeRoy, while the characters from the first story timeline are “Rock Star” and “Cowboy”, and the very first LeRoy even makes an appearance as “Original LeRoy”. And there are two Moniques, (one designated “Shaman Woman”), although they never cross paths. I even have a duplicate horse, Blaze, who gets aggitated when her other self is in the vicinity.

Each of these characters were the same but different than their duplicates. In the first book, Amaryllis is a rock star, living in the fast lane, an adreneline junkie who gets off on facing danger. That Amaryllis is “Rock Star” in this story and the Amaryllis character is one who was changed by her time travel experiences and the lessons they taught her. But one thing is certain, they are both in love with their own version of LeRoy.

It did get confusing at times, but it was a lot of fun to write. The first chapters had to be rewritten halfway through because I realized that the time jumps I had initially planned wouldn’t work, but the new beginning works much better. I’m bad about editing as I write, but it is a part of my writing process. Writing about time travel, I found it to be necessary, especially when things were changed in the story, so earlier chapters had to be edited or revised to keep the storylines consistant.

Even though I edited as I wrote, I consider the completed manuscript a first draft. Now, it must go through a first and second edit by me and be passed through at least one very thorough beta-reader. The beta-reader for this story has done research and written in the time-travel genre, so I’m expecting her to be tough in her commentary. As you can see, I’ve still got a ways to go before doing the final revisions and publishing, but every step brings me closer.

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About Kaye Lynne Booth

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This segment of “Writer’s Corner” is sponsored by The Rock Star & The Outlaw and WordCrafter Press.

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

WordCrafter News: Happy New Year!

Posted: December 30, 2024 | Author: kayelynnebooth | Filed under: Book Sales, Books, Fiction, Science Fiction, Time travel, WordCrafter News, WordCrafter Press | Tags: Curses, Kaye Lynne Booth, Marta, Midnight Oil, Poetry Treasures 5: Small Pleasures, Smashwords 2024 End of Year Book Sale, Story Bundle, The Rock Star & The Outlaw 2:Seeing Double, WordCrafter Press | 9 Comments

We’re approaching a new year once again, and folks are busy making New Year’s resolutions and planning for the year to come. Things are no different for WordCrafter Press and Writing to be Read. I’ve been planning and preparing for projects I want to accomplish in 2025, including two dark fiction anthologies – Curses and Midnight Oil: Stories to Fuel Your Nightmares, the annual poetry anthology – Treasuring Poetry 5: Small Pleasures, and I’m hoping to curate a couple of Story Bundles, if I can pull it all together. (Watch for the “Call for Submissions” for the annual WordCrafter Press Short Fiction Contest in my post on January 4th.The winning story will be featured in the Midnight Oil Anthology.) And I plan to have Marta, Book 3 in the Women in the West Adventure Series, out by the end of the year.

In addition, I’ve been working hard to finish the second book in my Time Travel Adventure series, The Rock Star & The Outlaw 2: Seeing Double, which will also be coming out in 2025.

The Rock Star & The Outlaw 2: Seeing Doubles

In 1887, after clearing his name, LeRoy McAllister is once again a reluctant outlaw, trying to save the people he cares about and win the heart of the woman he loves.

In 2030, the once thrill-seeking rock star, running on the fast track, Amaryllis Sanchez has lost her Cowboy during a time jump, which changed things in her present. Now she must go back to find her man and try to fix her future, crossing time lines to do it.

In 1887, things turn crazy fast, when Amaryllis tries to change events in a previous timeline. And, the outlaws try to bring LeRoy back into the fold by placing Sissy in peril.

To make matters worse, Nick, the time travel tester who started it all, is back, along with two temporal regulator agents, and they are all after the time module which Amaryllis has in her possession.

Amaryllis and LeRoy are both seeing doubles, and sometimes triples, by the time this story unravels. It seems there’s dopplegangers everywhere when you go to the past to try to change the future.

Happy New Year!

This year my resolution is the same as it is every year. I’m not big on resolutions, mainly because they are usuall broken, and I like to finish what I start. However, I always make one resolution, every single year. I resolve to do better and be more successful in my writing endeavors than I was the year before, with the ultimate goal being the ability to write full time and give up the day job. That hasn’t happened yet, so I guess I just keep working on the baby steps. With several releases planned for 2025, (mentioned above), hopefully I’ll be able to see it through again this coming year.

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This post is sponsored by WordCrafter Press, with a reminder that there’s still time to get all WordCrafter Press books at a 50% discounts during the Smashwords 2024 End of Year Sale. But time is running out. The sale ends January 1st. So get them while you can: https://www.smashwords.com/shelves/promos/