Day 2 of the WordCrafter “Legends” Book Blog Tour

Posted: August 18, 2026 | Author: | Filed under: Anthology, Audio Excerpt, Fiction, Giveaways, Guest Post, Horror, Mythology and Legend, Short Fiction, Stories, Supernatural, WordCrafter Book Blog Tours, WordCrafter Press | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

[Intro.]

The Giveaway

We made a puzzle out of the Legends cover.

Legends Cover separated into a puzzle

Follow the tour to find the clues hidden in the guest posts, readings and promos.

Name the Legend each story is based upon as you go through the tour.

Place your answers in the comments.

For each correct answer, you earn one of ten puzzle pieces.

At the end of the tour, the three people who have collected the most puzzle pieces

will win a free digital copy of

Legends: Monsters that go Bump in the Night

“The Call”

Green wall phone

Ring.

Ring. Ring.

It’s the middle of the night… do you answer the phone?

Rebecca Blackwood does.

THE LEGEND

“The babysitter and the man upstairs” is one of the most retold urban legends in horror — a threatening call that turns out to be coming from inside the house.

THE TWIST

The Call swaps the babysitter for a first-time homeowner. The fear isn’t a teenager on a job — it’s an adult who thought she’d finally earned safety.

THE CALL

Rebecca Blackwood finally has what she’s worked for: a home of her own. It’s modest, it’s hers, and it’s the first thing that’s ever felt permanent. Then the phone starts ringing.

At first, it’s silence. Next, breathing. Afterward, a voice that knows exactly where she’s standing, what room she’s in, what she’s wearing. Rebecca does everything right — she calls for help, she checks the locks, she stays calm. But the caller is already inside the house.

The Call is a slow-burn reimaging of one of horror’s most enduring urban legends, grounded in something scarier than any monster: the terror of being watched in the one place you’re supposed to be safe. Some things aren’t what they seem.

Join The Call…

*”The Call” appears in Legends: Monsters that go Bump in the Night (WordCrafter Press, 2026, ed. Kaye Lynne Booth), then again in Broken Things, DL Mullan’s own collection of weird short fiction (Undawnted, 2027).

Tell us in the comments which legend this story is associated with to claim puzzle piece 3.

Puzzle Piece 3

About DL Mullan

DL Mullan holds a Master of Arts in Teaching and Learning with Technology. Her lecture, Spacescapes: Where Photography Ends; Imagination Begins, debuted at the Phoenix Astronomy Society, which then led to her Sally Ride Festival lecture invitations. Her presentation, Bridging the Gap between Technology and Women, won her accolades at a community college’s Student Success Conference. She has been a panelist at speculative fiction, science fiction, and other regional conventions. Her digital exhibition pieces have won awards at convention art shows, as well as garnered her Second Premium at the Arizona State Fair. Currently, Ms. Mullan’s artistic renditions are seen on book covers, blog sites, and various merchandise. As an independent publisher, she uses her technical background to innovate the way she perceives the creative arts.

Avatar for Author DL Mullan

As a writer, DL Mullan loves to stretch her imagination and the elasticity of genres. She writes complex multigenre stories in digestible and entertaining forms, be it poetry, short fiction, or novels. Her science, history, mythology, and paranormal research background is woven into her writings, especially in Undawnted’s Legacy Universe. Ms. Mullan’s creative endeavors are available in digital and print collections, from academia to commercial anthologies. She is also an award-winning poet.

Be sure to subscribe to her newsletters and follow her on social media. For further information, visit her at http://www.undawnted.com. 

About Legends: Monsters that go Bump in the Night

Legends take many forms, but most carry a warning within. For instance, stories of monsters such as the Chupacabra, Snallygasters, and Windigos were told to warn children to behave themselves. The tale of the ghost girl who haunts buildings in Cleveland, is a warning to daredevils, who would chance their lives and safety in old derelict buildings. And Trooper 666 is a deterrent against drunk and dangerous driving. The angel of death and gilgul offers lessons to be learned about our spiritual lives. And any one of the monsters found between these pages could decide to follow you home.

These diverse shiver-inducing tales introduce readers to ghosts and monstrous creatures, which each hold a certain sense of justice. Introduced by multi-genre author Kaye Lynne Booth, these stories are a celebration of legends of old, and some new ones, too, but there are no happy endings.

Featuring stories by Kaye Lynne Booth, Abe Margel, Chris Barili, Sara W. McBride, C.R. Johansson, Rebecca M. Senese, Danaeka Scrimshaw, Robb T. White, DL Mullan and Joseph Carrabis.

Book Cover: Monsters that go Bump in the Night

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

“The House by the Lake”, by Rebecca M. Senese

Tell us in the comments which legend this story is associated with to claim puzzle piece 4.

Puzzle Piece 4

About Rebecca M. Senese

Author Rebecca M. Senese

Rebecca M. Senese weaves words of horror, mystery, contemporary fantasy, and science fiction in Toronto, Ontario. She is the author of the contemporary fantasy series, the Noel Kringle Chronicles featuring the son of Santa Claus working as a private detective in Toronto. She garnered an Honorable Mention in “The Year’s Best Science Fiction” and has been nominated for numerous Aurora Awards.

Wrap Up

That’s it for today’s tour stop. We hope you enjoyed DL Mullan’s guest post and her reading, and Rebecca M. Senese’s Promo. Don’t forget to pick out the legend each was based on and put your answers in the comments. Each correct answer earns a piece to the puzzle, and the more pieces you have, the better your chances of winning a free copy of Legends.

Also, don’t forget to get those Mustang pictures in to try and match the car in Chris Barili’s “The Legend of Trooper 666” story for a chance to win a signed print copy of the book. (Available to U.S. residents only due to the expense of International shipping.)

Winners will be announced in a special post on Sunday, on Writing to be Read.

Pop in for tomorrow’s tour stop over at Carla Loves to Read where Carla Johnson-Hicks will be hosting a guest post from contributing author Danaeka Scrimshaw about “The Legend of Tilly Mae”, and Joseph Carrabis shares the inspiration and an excerpt reading from “Sema”.

Tour Schedule

Mon. 8/17 – Chris – reading/contest & Johansson Promo & Trailer – Michelle Ayon Navajas – Poetry by Mich, Hotel by Masticadores, & Masticadores Phillipines

Tues. 8/18 – Dawn – guest post/audio reading & Senese Promo – Kaye Lynne Booth –Writing to be Read

Wed. 8/19 – Danaeka – guest post & Joseph – Video post & reading – Carla Johnson-Hicks – Carla Loves to Read

Thurs. 8/20 – Robb – guest post – Margel Promo – DL Mullan – Undawnted

Fri. 8/21 – Sara – guest post about authors & Kaye – audio reading – Kaye Lynne Booth – Writing to be Read

Sun. 8/23 – Winners post – Writing to be Read

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Book your WordCrafter Book Blog Tour today!

Final Stop on the Wordcrafter “Midnight Roost” Book Blog Tour

Posted: October 23, 2023 | Author: | Filed under: Anthology, Audio Excerpt, Blog Tour, Book Promotion, Book Release, Books, Dark Fantasy, Dark Humor, Fiction, Ghost Stories, Giveaways, Horror, Paranormal, Science Fiction, Short Fiction, Speculative Fiction, Stories, WordCrafter Book Blog Tours, WordCrafter Press | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments
Tour Banner Spooky graveyard background with one-eyed bird roosting in a tree. Foreground: Print copy of Midnight Roost and WordCrafter logo Text: Wordcrafter Book Blog Tours Presents Midnight Roost Weird and Creepy Stories, Contributing Authors, Zack Ellafy,Chris Barili, Joseph Carrabis, DL Mullan, Christa Planko, Paul Kane, Sonia Pipkin, C.R. Johansson. Roberta Eaton Cheadle, Patty Fletcher, Keith J. Hoskins, Denise Aparo, Isabel Grey, Rebecca M. Senese, Mario Acevedo,Kaye Lynne Booth, Michaele Jordan, Robert Kostanczuk, M J Mallon
WordCrafter Midnight Roost Book Blog Tour

It’s the final stop on the WordCrafter Midnight Roost Book Blog Tour and today we’re going to wrap things up with a reading by contributing author Denise Aparo from her haunting story, “The Pines”,and some excerpts from stories from authors who weren’t able to participate in the tour. So, kick back and enjoy the reading and peruse the excerpts, meet the authors and join in the discussion by leaving a comment and earn a chance at a free digital copy of Midnight Roost.

Meet Author Denise Aparo

Denise Aparo is a new WordCrafter Press author, so I’m just getting to know a little ab out her, too. Her story, “The Pines” wasn’t the winning story in the short fiction contest, but I still felt that its dark parnormal feel would fit into the anthology. Now that the book is compiled and I can see the finished product, I think I made the right decision. It is a perfect addition to the Midnight Roost collection. Listen to the reading below and see if you don’t agree.

Reading from “The Pines”

Reading from “The Pines” by Denise Aparo

About Denise Aparo

Denise Aparo is a New England native, born and raised in the clockmaking city of Bristol, Connecticut. She lives with her husband, Joe, and they have five grandchildren. She is also a freelance writer who spends her time working on her novel and writing short stories. She also spends her time gardening, crafting, and crocheting.

Denise likes to write Paranormal Fiction, genre of Historical Fantasy. She recently completed her first novel, Crossbows. She has a Masters of Arts in English and a Fine Arts/Creative Writing with concentration in Fiction from Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU) and a member of Sigma Tau Delta, International English Honor Society, and The National Society of Leadership and Success, Sigma Alpha Pi, with SNHU.

She is a member of the Connecticut Authors and Publishers Association (CAPA) and the author of a new WordPress writing blog, The Write Voice, The Write Voice | The write voice at the write time, a blog that boasts, “Like multiple genres, there are many cultures – each with an individual voice.”   Denise is a new addition to the WordCrafter Press authors.

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Excerpt from “Melina” by Kaye Lynne Booth

Dark and Scary Graveyard in the background. One eyed owl and print copy of Midnight Roost are perched in branches of old, scraggly trees. Text: From WordCrafter Press, "Melina" by Kaye Lynne Booth - "Not gonna do it," Ralph says, crossing his arms and planting his feet. "No way, no how. That's Augie's corpse floating in the pool. Uh-uh." Melina had thought Ralph might come to her aid, yet now it seems he would be the one to block her escape. But she can't let that happen. Not when she is so close. Her skin is searing in a fiery rage. She must get out of this pool now. She raises her head and opens her mouth, letting her siren song pour out. Ralph's eyes glaze over, as Augie's had, and he turns and starres directly at her. A blank stare crosses Eddie's face, and he turns toward her , as well. Did not expect that.

Excerpt from “She Shed Galleria” by C.R. Johansson

Dark and Scary Graveyard in the background. One eyed owl and print copy of Midnight Roost are perched in branches of old, scraggly trees. Text: From WordCrafter Press, "She Shed Galleria" by C.R. Johannson - "You're an artist." He sipped some of the wine, surprised by its fruity flavor. His wine experience went only as far as a box of bitterness from the corner grocery store. "It's a Zweigelt," she said as if reading his mind. He looked at her. Something in her gaze. He fidgeted in his seat. A sudden twinge of panic rushed through him, driven by a primitive intuition deep within him, driven by a primative intuition deep within him, and like a dog who squeezes in between the washing machine and the wall only to find itself trapped. He suddenly wished he hadn't got in the car.

Excerpt from “House on the Plains” by Zack Ellafy

Dark and Scary Graveyard in the background. One eyed owl and print copy of Midnight Roost are perched in branches of old, scraggly trees. Text: From WordCrafter Press, "House on th Plains" by Zack Ellafy - “I just needed somewhere new and quiet, away from drama. I saw this was a place out of the way and the houses were cheap. Oh, sorry - I hope I didn’t offend you.” “Oh, no ma’am. We like it that way. You married? Husband didn’t come in with you?” “No. No husband. Recently divorced, but nope,” Madison said. “Really? I don’t want to alarm you, ma’am, but why is there someone sitting in your car?” Jeff asked. “What?” Madison said as her head turned towards the large windows at the front of the store. There wasn’t a perfect line of sight to her car, so she slowly inched back for a better view. A chill ran up Madison’s spine - she could make out someone sitting in the backseat. His back was turned, but she thought she could make out some sort of hat on his head. It can’t be him, she thought. I covered all my tracks. No one except my family knows I’m even here.

Excerpt from “Take Two” by Rebecca M. Senese

Dark and Scary Graveyard in the background. One eyed owl and print copy of Midnight Roost are perched in branches of old, scraggly trees. Text: From WordCrafter Press, "Take Two" by Rebecca M. Senes - Sondra handed her mother a mirror. “What do you think?” Her mother caught her breath, mouth opening a little. “Oh my,” she breathed. “I never… I had no idea.” Sondra grinned. “Want to learn how to do it?” Her mother glanced up, almost sheepishly. “Could I?” “You sure could,” Sondra said. She turned to the camera. “What do you think of Florence’s new look? Let me know in the comments! And join us in future videos where I teach Florence, and you, how to achieve this look. It’s easier than you think. Until next time!” She waved and turned off the camera.

Excerpt from “A Visitor Comes to the Window” by Robert Kostanczuk

Dark and Scary Graveyard in the background. One eyed owl and print copy of Midnight Roost are perched in branches of old, scraggly trees. Text: From WordCrafter Press, "A Visitant Comes to the Window" by Robert Kostanczuk - This time, the winged thing was in the center windowpane, middle row. As it stalked about his window, the glass seemed to move with slight waves—undulate—as the mysterious thing methodically crawled from pane to pane. It was an odd, mesmerizing visual. He felt a pane that was not occupied by the bug, but there was nothing abnormal; the surface was smooth. Then, the vision of the interloper on an adjacent pane caught his eye. The surface seemed to ripple ever so slightly.

That wraps up today’s stop, and the whole tour. I hope you enjoyed meeting Denise and the excerpts from the other stories. Be sure to visit any stops you missed through the links in the schedule below for more chances to win a free digital copy of Midnight Roost. I will announce the winners in next Monday’s “WordCrafter News” post, here on “Writing to be Read”

Giveaway

A chance to win a free digital copy of Midnight Roost at every stop. Just leave a comment to show your support for the tour, the anthology, and all of the fantastic authors.

Tour Schedule

Monday – October 16 – Opening Day –Isabele Grey (Interview & Reading) & Joseph Carrabis (Reading) – Writing to be Read

Tuesday – October 17 – M J Mallon (Reading) & Christa Planko (Interview & Guest Post)– Undawnted

Wednesday – October 18 – Chris Barili (Guest Post) & Paul Kane (Guest Post) – Patty’s Worlds

Thursday – October 19 – Julie Jones (Reading) & Keith Hoskins (Guest Post) – Robbie’s Inspiration

Friday – October 20 – Michaele Jordan (Reading) & Mario Acevedo (Guest Post) – Writing to be Read

Saturday – October 21 – Patty Fletcher (Guest Post) & DL Mullen (Guest Post & Video) – Roberta Writes

Sunday – October 22 – Sonia Pipkin (Guest Post) & Roberta Eaton Cheadle (Reading) – Kyrosmagica Publishing

Monday – October 23 – Closing Post –Denise Aparo (Reading) & excerpts from other stories – Writing to be Read

About Midnight Roost: Weird and Creepy Stories

20 authors bring your nightmares to life in 23 stories of ghosts, paranormal phenomenon, and the horror from the dark crevasses of their minds. Stories of stalkers, both human and supernatural, possession and occult rituals, alien visitations of the strange kind, and ghostly tales that will give you goosebumps. These are the tales that will make you fear the dark. Read them at the Midnight Roost… if you dare.

Purchase Link: https://books2read.com/u/318L0l

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Book your WordCrafter Book Blog Tour today!

Join us for a Midnight Roost

Posted: October 10, 2023 | Author: | Filed under: Anthology, Blog Tour, Book Promotion, Book Release, Books, Dark Fantasy, Dark Humor, Fairy Tales, Fiction, Horror, Mythology and Legend, Science Fiction, Speculative Fiction, Stories, WordCrafter Press | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

It’s coming! Midnight Roost: Weird and Creepy Stories to be released October 17, 2023 and is available for pre-order now!

About the Midnight Roost

Book Cover: Dark and Scary graveyard withone eyed bird roosted in old crooked tree Text: Midnight Roost Weird and Creepy Stories, A WordCrafter Anthology, Edited by Kaye Lynne Booth

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.

Preorder Link: https://books2read.com/u/318L0l

The Contributing Authors

  • Zack Ellafy – “House on the Plains”
  • Chris Barili – “Shaken”
  • Joseph Carrabis – “The Beach”, “Blood Magic”, and “Binky”
  • DL Mullan – “Mangled”
  • Christa Planko – “The Easterville Glass Ghost”
  • Paul Kane – “The White Lady”
  • Sonia Pipkin – “Once Upon a Time”
  • C.R. Johansson – “She Shed Galleria”
  • Roberta Eaton Cheadle – “The Behemoth”
  • Patty Fletcher – “Casualties of War”
  • Keith J. Hoskins – “Teddy”
  • Denise Aparo – “The Pines”
  • Julie Jones – “Night of Terror”
  • Isabel Grey – “Rabbits Can’t See Pink Firework” and “Red Door House” (Winning story in 2023 WordCrafter Short Fiction Contest
  • Rebecca M. Senese – “Take Two”
  • Mario Acevedo – “Immediate Intervention”
  • Kaye Lynne Booth – “Melina”
  • Michaele Jordan – “Afterward”
  • Robert Kostanczuk – “A Visitor Comes to the Window”
  • M J Mallon – “The Cull”

Upcoming Book Blog Tour

Tour Banner Spooky graveyard background with one-eyed bird roosting in a tree. Foreground: Print copy of Midnight Roost and WordCrafter logo Text: Wordcrafter Book Blog Tours Presents Midnight Roost Weird and Creepy Stories, Contributing Authors, Zack Ellafy,Chris Barili, Joseph Carrabis, DL Mullan, Christa Planko, Paul Kane, Sonia Pipkin, C.R. Johansson. Roberta Eaton Cheadle, Patty Fletcher, Keith J. Hoskins, Denise Aparo, Isabel Grey, Rebecca M. Senese, Mario Acevedo,Kaye Lynne Booth, Michaele Jordan, Robert Kostanczuk, M J Mallon

To celebrate the release of this wonderfully weird and creepy anthology, join us for the WordCrafter Midnight Roost Book Blog Tour October 16-23, starting right here on Writing to be Read. Meet the contributing authors, find out about the inspirations behind the stories, read excerpts, meet the characters, listen to readings from the stories, and get chances to win a free digital copy of Midnight Roost at each stop.

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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.