Book Review: “Ghost Therapy” & “Victim of a Delusional Mind”

Posted: September 19, 2025 | Author: kayelynnebooth | Filed under: Book Review, Books, Dark Humor, Fiction, Ghost Stories, Middle Grade, Paranormal | Tags: Book Review, Dark Humor, Ghost Story, Ghost Therapy, Kaye Lynne Booth, Mark Rosendorf, Middle Grade Fiction, Paranormal, Writing to be Read | Leave a comment

About Ghost Therapy

From Book 1: Pinedale Central High School is rumored to be haunted. For fifteen-year-old Sam Anderson, his haunting comes from the bullying he suffers each day within the school’s walls. Sam doesn’t believe the rumors, not until he meets Jessica, a former Pinedale student who died over one hundred years ago. No one can see or hear her except for Sam.
Jessica convinces Sam to stand up to his bully. Unfortunately, the confrontation ends in tragedy. Now Sam is one of the ghosts no one can see or hear. At least not until he meets a former military operative, now Pinedale’s newest Guidance Counselor, Mr. Copeland.

The two form a bond created out of Copeland’s determination to help Sam find his way to the afterlife. Their efforts, however, have consequences…some good, some not so good, and one that could put the lives of everyone in the school at risk.

Ghost Therapy opens the series, “The Haunting of Pinedale High,” presented by the authors of The Wild Rose Press.

Purchase Link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D9YZWG5Z?

My Review of Ghost Therapy

I received a digital copy of Ghost Therapy, by Mark Rosendorf, as a participant in Sandra’s Book Club book review program. All opinions stated here are my own.

Ghost Therapy is book one in Rosendorf’s The Haunting of Pinedale High series; a series of eight books by the authors of Wild Rose Press. I was drawn to this book by its title, but I have to be honest; here in the U.S. they have a television sit-com about a house that is haunted by several ghosts, and they interact with the current living occupants. It was pretty lame, in my opinion. In fact, I disliked it so much after a partial episode that now I can’t even tell you what the name of it was. So, when I realized that this story was about a high school filled with trapped haunts which can never leave, I was hesitant to read on. But I’m glad that I did, because I found this story quite enjoyable, with a good story line and creative solutions for the characters.

Pinedale High School has been rumored to be haunted, and Sam Anderson meets one of its ghosts one day while he’s trying to avoid Kurt Baker, school bully and Sam’s own personal nightmare. He becomes friends of a sort with the ghost, Jessica, who believes he must stand up for himself to turn the tables. When he tries to put Jessica’s advice into action, the tables are turned, but not in the way expected. Now, Sam becomes one of the ghosts who haunt Pinedale High, and no one can see or hear him in the world of the living or the dead, leaving him to wander the halls of the school alone, unable to leave the premises.

No one can see him until, someone can; a retired, special ops. soldier, turned school counselor, Mark Copeland. Mr. Copeland doesn’t believe in ghosts, until he meets Sam, and together they stand off Kurt Baker, who returns as a very disgruntled ex-student.

The set-up and execution of this story is delightful, making me smile and even earning a few chuckles along the way. The one thing I found distracting was that in the last half of the story, the antagonists last name alternates between Baker, as it was in the first part of the story, and Barton, for some reason, being the later in some places and the original in others. But I must say that Rosendorf does a skillful job of switching smoothly from one protagonist to the next when Sam finally passes on from his ghostly existence and the story.

A skillfully crafted story, but it could have used another editing run. I found Ghost Therapy to be highly entertaining, a perfect middle-grade ghost story. I give it four quills.

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About Victim of a Delusional Mind

Book Cover: Woamn walking along the beach with bird of prey flying above.
Text: Private Investigators Troy and Eva Winters Thriller Series, Victim of a Delusional Mind, K.J. North

Tragedy enters the quaint coastal town of New Haven, Oregon when the recently released convict, Ross Conrad, vows to make good on a ten-year-old threat. Private Investigators, Troy and Eva Winters take on the case when they realize their good friend, Jasmine, is the object of his delusional obsession.

When the threat becomes deadly and Jasmine turns up missing, Troy and Eva go on the hunt for Ross and his captive. The chase leads them from the Oregon coast to the dense forest of Puget Sound, Washington. Following clues and evidence of bodies left behind, Troy and Eva must find Jasmine before her time runs out.

Purchase Link: https://www.amazon.com/Victim-Delusional-Mind-Disturbing-Investigators-ebook/dp/B08VFL67WD

My Review of Victim of a Delusional Mind

I purchased a digital copy of Victim of a Delusional Mind, by K.J. North through a KindofBook deal. All opinions stated here are my own.

I have to say, although somewhat accurate, I think they could have come up with a better title for this story. It’s not about being a victim, but about triumphing against all odds. When I learned that it is book one in the Private Investigators Troy and Eva Winters Thriller series, I decided the author must just like titles which are a mouthful to say.

Titles aside, Victim of a Delusional Mind is a first-class crime thriller. Ten years ago, Jasmine testified to send Ross Conrad to prison on drug trafficking charges. The last thing he said as he left the courtroom was that she hadn’t seen the last of him. Jasmine takes a vacation to the coast, only to learn that he is now being paroled, and she fears he will make good on his threats. When she is offered a job at the bed and breakfast she’s staying at, she sees a chance to begin a whole new chapter of her life, and she confides her fears about Ross to her new friends, Eva and Troy, who are also private investigators.

When Ross and his brother Jax initiate their plan for revenge, they kidnap her, and she must keep her wits about her to survive. Meanwhile, Eva and Troy are doing all they can to find their missing friend before it is too late. The tension is high, the stakes are life, as Ross always seems to stay one step ahead of the game.

Everything a crime thriller should be, I give Victim of a Delusional Mind five quills.

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 book 1 in her Time-Travel Adventure series, 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, where she edits and publishes two short fiction anthologies and one poetry anthology every year amidst her many writing projects. 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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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.

Review in Practice: That Th!nk That You Do, volume 2

Posted: September 8, 2025 | Author: kayelynnebooth | Filed under: Book Review, Books, Nonfiction, Relationships, Review in Practice, romance, The Human Condition | Tags: Joseph Carrabis, Kaye Lynne Booth, Nonfiction, Relationships, Review in Practice, Romanace, That Th!nk You Do vol. 2, The Human Condition, Writing to be Read | 4 Comments

I volunteered to be a first reader for author Joseph Carrabis for his upcoming nonfiction book on romance and relationships, That Th!nk That You Do, vol. 2. I reviewed the first book of this title and you can read that here: https://writingtoberead.com/2023/05/15/review-in-practice-that-thnk-you-do/. While that first book deals with human thought processes and behaviors in general, volume 2 deals with romance and relationships, and the differences between the sexes. His premises are based on solid research and contemporary studies, and may be pretty accurate, unless you are weird, like me.

How age affects perspective, and my reviews.

In the section titled “Romancing Real Women”, Carrabis offers us two different versions of a passage from a hypothetical romance story. The first is what I would call romance adventure, where the dashing hero saves the damsel in distress, with a big, muscular male playing the part of hero. The second offers up a loving, playful, sensitive male character, who puts his heroine up on a pedestal. Then he asks which you think will catch a woman’s attention, and goes on to explain why they are both very age demographic:

“the former is designed to attract younger women more so than older women. Mature women will appreciate the former but the latter fantasy will stay with them.”

This is not surprising, as I would have guessed that the first would appeal to the younger, more hormonal group of females. And of course, as an older woman, I can see why the second version would stay with more mature women, who value stability in their lives.

I’ve never been one to go in for sappy, feel-good writing, which many romances are, and why I read so few of them and why I don’t write them. I can’t make myself do it, although I know I could if I wanted to. I even have outlines and beginnings for a few stored away with my trunk novels.

But I’m not heartless and I am female, so I do read romance occasionally. But, I don’t think I’m looking for a hero. In fact, I don’t think I ever was. I’m not a fan of Scarlet O’hara being swept off her feet by Rhett Butler, but if an author can keep it realistic, I can make it through the story and often, enjoy it.

But here’s the thing. After reading this, I had to wonder if the same factors Carrabis shows us might not also affect the way that I review a romance, especially since neither of the examples used appealed to me in a big way. Upon first thought, I would have said that it’s always been that way for me, but I had to wonder if my romance reviews have changed over the years without my noticing. And I don’t think it has.

When I was a judge for the Western Writers of America’s Spur Awards, back in 2018, they gave me the western romance category. Although I cringed when they gave me my category, I found that for me, as long as a tale carries a good, strong, storyline to hold my interest, I can tolerate the romance, even if it is a little sappy. And to be honest, I was mostly through that hormonal stage before I started doing my blog and/or book reviews, so perhaps this line of thinking doesn’t prove or disprove anything, but it is an interesting premise to explore.

If you’re interested, you can catch my western romance reviews of Spur contenders here: https://writingtoberead.com/2020/03/30/judging-for-the-2020-w-w-a-spur-awards/

Meeting His/Her Family

Carrabis emphasizes how much you can learn about your partner from meeting his/her family. Interactions within the family can be indications of how your partner may prefer to communicate their needs and desires, as well as their attitudes toward others, giving you an idea of what type of life-partner they might be. And it does make sense.

Thinking back to when I met my second husband’s family, I think I should have run like hell. If I had, it would have saved a lot of greed later, because the dysfunctional traits and behavior never went away and came back repeatedly to bite me in the butt. But if I had, I also wouldn’t have spent most of my adult life with a man that I truly love, and frankly, I can’t imagine what life without him would have been like, so I’m glad that I didn’t.

Other Interesting Points Made

Another interesting claim Carrabis makes, is the importance of voice in relationships, from harmonic voices tending to form a closer bond, to holding on to the partner whose voice you enjoy hearing, and the benefits of a partner who sings. Also, I loved the chapter titled, “Men Get Stupid Over Sex”, which talks about the different types of risk which sex poses for men vs. women, and men’s willingness to risk more. I would guess that the risks may seem greater for men in recent times because, as Carrabis points out, only in recent times, have men been forced to take responsibility for their actions and their offspring

Summary

A life-long student of the human condition, Carrabis shares some astute insights into the human condition and differences between the sexes based on solid research and personal observations. He offers these up with a pinch of humor, making reading this book feel like chatting with an old friend. I was able to relate his premises to relationships in my own life, and in many cases, they were spot on, with interesting ideas on some different ways to approach the search for a soulmate.

Buy direct from the author: https://josephcarrabis.com/books/#TTYDv2

Writer’s Corner: Caution in Using AI Tools in Writing

Posted: September 1, 2025 | Author: kayelynnebooth | Filed under: AI Technology, Fiction, Writer's Corner, Writing | Tags: AI Technology, Kaye Lynne Booth, Writer's Corner, Writing to be Read | 25 Comments

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

I’ve made no secret of the fact that I use of AI tools in my writing and editing tasks. I utilized the MS editor and ProWriting Aide to help spot typos and misspellings and passive voice writing, but I don’t always agree with the AI and often dismiss suggestions which don’t fit in with voice and tone.

I have even used a free version of ChatGPT, which is generative AI, to help enhance my descriptions in my own writing. It is useful when describing a scene or area which I haven’t actually visited in real life. When writing Sarah, although I had been to Glenwood Springs, where Sarah ends up, many times, I’d not visited in Sarah’s time. It was quite a different scene, coming into Glenwood Canyon on horseback, just after the railroad had arrived there, with no four-lane highway running through, from what I’ve witnessed in my lifetime. I used ChatGPT to help visualize what Sarah might have seen as she came into town, with no large hot springs pool tourist attraction, but many smaller hot springs sending up steam along the riverbanks. The version of ChatGPT which I used only offered a general description, and didn’t get that detailed, so I had to rely on my memory of photos at the pool, depicting that time to add the details. And please understand, at no time did I take text generated by the AI word for word, but simply used its descriptions and wording to enhance my own writing.

While I always caution writers who use AI to use caution by not using AI generated text word for word, and not accepting AI editing suggestions without considering each one individually, we are now supposed to reveal to Amazon if AI has been used in any part of the writing when we publish, even if you just used it to get some ideas or to polish your manuscript.

Now, let me be clear. I do not condone using any type of AI to write the story for you, then slapping your name on it as author. While I know there are authors who do just that, I don’t consider that writing. I consider it copying, and I consider it dishonest to put your name on something you didn’t actually write yourself. People are now writing entire books using AI and they are making money off of them, but they aren’t authors, they’re imposters. Authors write. That’s what they do. They don’t let AI do it for them because the actual act of writing is too difficult and takes to much time. These folks are just in it for the money, and they don’t care how it comes to them, as long as it comes. A real author cares about the product they put their name on, and they should want it to be their own.

So, when I found an article in Writer’s Weekly that relates the tale of an author who uses no AI, but had her work flagged as plagiarism, claiming it was AI generated, it illustrated the fact for me, even more, that you can’t trust technology and AI is not infallible. You can read that article here: https://writersweekly.com/angela-desk/ai-detectors-are-now-flagging-writing-that-was-not-created-using-ai. It’s some pretty scary stuff.

Today’s technology offers tools that can come in handy and make a writer’s life easier. They can be a good thing, if they are used properly. But AI isn’t always right and anyone who checks each editing suggestion individually will soon find this to be true. AI is only as good as the methods used to train it. My advice: use AI tools when they are helpful to you, but don’t use AI to do the work for you. Be sure that your own ideas and words are in the forefront.

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 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: “Curses” Coming in September

Posted: August 25, 2025 | Author: kayelynnebooth | Filed under: Anthology, Blog Tour, Book Release, Books, Dark fiction, Fiction, Horror, Short Fiction, Stories, WordCrafter Book Blog Tours, WordCrafter Press | Tags: Anthology, C.R. Johansson, Curses, Danaeka Scrimshaw, Dark fiction, Denise Aparo, Joseph Carrabis, Kaye Lynne Booth, Paul Kane, Robert White, WordCrafter Press | 5 Comments

I’m excited to announce the coming release of the Curses anthology from WordCrafter Press on September 30. Naturally we’ll be launching this collection of stories featuring curses: cursed places, cursed objects, cursed people with a WordCrafter Book Blog Tour September 29 – October 5, where you can meet a different contributing author and learn more about them and their story through guest posts, readings and interviews. I do hope you’ll all join us as we celebrate with the authors and promote the anthology’s success.

About Curses

There are all types of curses.

Cursed places, cursed items, cursed people, cursed families.

Curses that last throughout time. Curses which can’t be broken. Curses which we bring upon ourselves. Curses that will kill you and those that will only make you wish you were dead.

Ten tantalizing tales of curses and the cursed. Includes stories by Kaye Lynne Booth, Molly Ertel, C.R. Johansson, Robert White, Joseph Carrabis, Paul Kane, Danaeka Scrimshaw, Abe Margel, and Denise Aparo.

On The Home Front

September is always a hard month for me because it is in September that my son, Michael died. I try to keep it a pretty quiet month, with not a lot of deadlines or other obligations to meet. It’s also the month that he was born and needless to say, I usually spend a lot of time thinking about him during September.

He’s been gone now for sixteen years. That’s a long time. So, for me, the month of September is kind of a month of mourning, but it’s also a month-long celebration of his life, even after all these years. I drag out all my old photos and think a lot about the memories they represent. I talk to Michael all the time, but during September, we have one-way chats at least daily, and sometime, even more.

But Michael was my biggest fan when he was alive, and although you may not hear a lot from me on social media in September, the wheels of production will go on, because he would have wanted it that way. He was always interested in what I was writing and even wrote short stories and poetry of his own.

The end of the month will see the release of the Curses anthology, so I’ll be working on blog tour preparations. And looking forward, I’ll also be editing and compiling the stories for Midnight Oil, the third book in the Midnight anthology series, which will include my story with the working title of “Elephant Zombie”, and will be released in October. Lastly, I’ll be preparing Smothered, a paranormal romance by B.T. Clearwater, which will also be released in October.

Wow! Now that I put it all down here, I guess I may be pretty busy in September after all.

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 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/

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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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

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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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

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

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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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

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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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

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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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.