WordCrafter Holiday Book Bash

Starting Black Friday, November 28th and running clear through December 25th, for those last-minute gifts.

Click on the book title to go to the landing page. Then, select the distributor of your choice.

WordCrafter Novels

Women in the West Adventure Series, by Kaye Lynne Booth

Strong Female Protagonists

Fictionalized Historical Characters

The Western Frontier Brought to Life

Delilah – $1.99Delilah 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.

Sarah – $2.99Sarah is a young girl trying to make a place for herself in the world.

Sarah is not the young girl stolen away from Delilah anymore. Now she is Hair of Fire, mate of Three Hawks, even as she blossoms into a young woman and tries to make a place for herself among the Ute tribe.

When she is stolen away from the life she’s made, she struggles to survive in the heart of the Rocky Mountains. A streak of stubbornness and determination take this tough, feisty heroine up against wild beasts of the forest and the rugged mountain landscape to Glenwood Springs, Colorado, where she receives a less than welcoming reception by some.

Will this young woman find her way back to the Ute tribe, which she’s come to think of as family, or will she discover a place among the colorful inhabitants of the Colorado hot springs and mining town?

Follow along on her journey to learn who she truly is and where she belongs in this rough, and often hostile frontier.

If you like strong and capable female protagonists, you’ll love Sarah.

Marta – Coming in 2026

Time Travel Adventure Series, by Kaye Lynne Booth

The Rock Star & The Outlaw – $2.99A 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.

The Rock Star & The Outlaw 2: Double Visions – Coming in 2026

Shadow Blade, by Chris Barili

Shadow Blade – $5.99

The Denari Lai: An order of religious zealots who control their assassins through an addiction to magic.They haven’t failed in over one hundred years.

Ashai Larish: An unstoppable Denari Lai assassin sent covertly to kill the Pushtani king and his daughter. But he falls in love with the princess and finds himself, despite struggling withdrawal symptoms from his magic, as they flee from a second assassin and the King’s guard.

Makari: A beautiful and unconventional princess seeking to change the laws of her father’s kingdom  when she learns Ashai’s true identity.

Pachat: A Pushtani slave who unknowingly sparks a slave rebellion all along the border between their nations.

Will Pachat gain the revenge he so lustily seeks?

Can Ashai kill the second assassin, win back Makari’s love and return her to the throne that is rightfully hers? 

Short Fiction Singles

Baiting the Hook – Free! – On the ice-polished rooftops and the otherwise dark allies now choked with snow, Tabe Ge Nishi, the past pursues the future, old chases young. The Chargh Lai—leader of the brutal assassin’s guild, the Denari Lai—searches for the perfect leader to take over the order when he passes on. But the boy has other suitors and wishes only to be left alone. Betrayals have made Ashai cautious, and just as he rebuffs the advances of a street gang, he also rejects the Chargh Lai’s offer of constant brotherhood. But “no” is not an answer the Chargh Lai is used to hearing. And he pressures Ashai to join him. And meanwhile, another assassin hunts them both.

What will Ashai choose? The camaraderie of the Denari Lai, or freezing alone on the streets? The final battle will determine the fate of both men, and an entire nation.

Hidden Secrets – $.99Cassie 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?

November 28th – December 25th, 2025

Get your copies today!


Merry Christmas from WordCrafter Press & Writing to be Read

We’ve had a great year here at WordCrafter Press & Writing to be Read, and it’s all because of you, our fabulous readers!

2024 Publications from WordCrafter Press

The D.I.Y. Author: Writer’s Resource

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 but 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 Link: https://books2read.com/The-DIY-Author

Sarah: Book 2 of the Women in the West Adventure Series

Sarah is a young girl trying to make a place for herself in the world.

Sarah is not the young girl stolen away from Delilah anymore. Now she is Hair of Fire, mate of Three Hawks, even as she blossoms into a young woman and tries to make a place for herself among the Ute tribe.

When she is stolen away from the life she’s made, she struggles to survive in the heart of the Rocky Mountains. A streak of stubbornness and determination take this tough, feisty heroine up against wild beasts of the forest and the rugged mountain landscape to Glenwood Springs, Colorado, where she receives a less than welcoming reception by some.

Will this young woman find her way back to the Ute tribe, which she’s come to think of as family, or will she discover a place among the colorful inhabitants of the Colorado hot springs and mining town?

Follow along on her journey to learn who she truly is and where she belongs in this rough, and often hostile frontier.

If you like strong and capable female protagonists, you’ll love Sarah.

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

The My Backyard Friends Kid’s Book Series

Feild of colorful flowers and butterflies in background. Digital copies of "Heather Hummingbird Makes a New Friend, Timothy Turtle Discovers Jellybeans, and Charlie Chickadee Gets a New Home in foreground. Text: My Backyard Friends Kid's Book Series

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.

Purchase Links:

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

Tales From the Hanging Tree: Imprints of Tragedy Anthology

There exists a tree that is timeless, spanning across all dimensions, which absorbs every life as those who are hanged as they die… and it remembers every one. The stories within are a select few of the Tales From the Hanging Tree

Stories by Kaye Lynne Booth, Paul Kane, DL Mullan, C.R. Johannson, Joseph Carrabis, Sylva Fae, and Matt Usher.

Purchase Link: https://books2read.com/Hanging-Tree

Midnight Garden: Where Dark Tales Grow Anthology – Book 2 in the Midnight Anthology Series

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.

Contributing authors include Paul Kane, Ell Rodman, DL Mullan, Joseph Carrabis, Roberta Eaton Cheadle, Denise Aparo, Jon Shannon, Zack Ellafy, Danaeka Scrimshaw, Robb T. White, Abe Margel, Julie Jones, Molly Ertel, Peter McKay, Kaye Lynne Booth, Paul Martz, and M.J. Mallon.

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

Reminder: ALL WordCrafter Press Books 50% off through January 1 on Smashwords

That’s right. You can get those WordCrafter Press books that have been sitting on your wishlist at 50% of during the Smashwords 2024 End of Year Sale. But you must act before January 1st, when the sale ends and these great discounts go away. And don’t forget that WordCrafter Press books make great holiday gifts, too. Get your copies today.

Shop the Smashwords 2024 End of Year Sale here: https://www.smashwords.com/shelves/promos/

2024 Highlights on Writing to be Read

On Writing to be Read, we’ve had several new monthly blog series debut. I introduced a new Monday blog series, “Everyone is a Critic”, where you can find out what I think about movies or television series I’ve watched. I brought back “Chatting with the Pros” on the second Saturday of each month, along with the debut of its sister series on the fourth Saturday, “Chatting with New Blood”, where I interview professional authors who are making it work, and rising authors about their books and lessons learned, respectively, and post my reviews of their books.

And Robbie Cheadle said goodbye to “Growing Bookworms” and introduced her new monthly series, “Read and Cook”, where each month, she reviews a book and provides a complimentary recipe with delectable photos. I believe this series will be quite popular, or at least, it has been so far. Robbie’s series appear on Wednesdays, and “Read and Cook” appears the second Wednesday of the month. The third and forth Wednesdays see her “Treasuring Poetry” series, featuring interviews with poets and reviews of their books, and “In Touch with Nature” featuring facts about African wildlife and Robbie’s brillant wildlife photography, videos and artwork.

2024 also saw a new addition to the Writing to be Read blog team, DL Mullan, with her new series “Undawntech”, where she explores the pros and cons of AI and other technology in our rapidly changing world.

And in honor of the season that is upon us, I’d like to call special attention to DL’s and Robbie’s holiday posts: “Undawntech: An A.I. Yuletide Carol” and “Read and Cook with Robbie Cheadle – Letters From Father Christmas, by J.R.R. Tolkien and a recipe for Christmas Cake“. Both are delightful, and just the thing to put you in a holiday mood.

In addition, Arthur Rosch’s monthly contribution, “Mind Fields”, brings poetry and essays with Art’s unique outlook on life, appears randomly, where there is space for it, often a fifth Wednesday or Friday, if there is one, or sometimes on the first Wednesday, as that’s an open spot, as well.

If you want to be sure to not to miss any of this great content, you can subscribe to Writing to be Read and receive notification of all new content right in your inbox. We’ve got a great new year ahead of us, so don’t miss a post.

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Note From the Author

That’s a recap of this past year for WordCrafter Press and Writing to be Read. I’m thankful for all that’s been accomplished and excited about the year to come. To find out what is in store, watch for this month’s “WordCrafter News” on the 30th.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from WordCrafter Press and the Writing to be Read blog team

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About author 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 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 drug 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


A great review for “Sarah”

Drop by Thomas Wikman’s Leonberger blog site to catch his smashing review of Sarah: Book 2 in the Women in the West Adventure Series (WordCrafter Press, 2023). I’m particularly excited about this review, as it eases my nervous anticipation about how my strong female protagonists would be received by male readers with this western historical women’s fiction series. I hope you’ll check it out. 🙂


Winners of the Wordcrafter “Sarah” Book Blog Tour Giveaway & a Reminder

We had a great tour for Sarah: Book 2 of the Women in the West Adventure Series, although I would have liked to see a bigger turnout. I enjoyed sharing about myself and about the research and inspiration behind the book with all of you, and I may have made new friends along the way. Thanks to everyone who participated for helping me launch this wonderful book.

The Winners Are…

Each comment on the tour earned an entry in the tour giveaway and a chance to receive a free digital copy of Sarah. So without futher ado…

Drumroll Please.

The winners of the WordCrafter Sarah Book Blog Tour are…

  • Author Jan Sikes
  • Priscilla Bettis
  • Thomastigwikman

Congratulations to the winners!

Please contact me at kayebooth@yahoo.com to receive your free digital copy of Sarah.

Reminder

Today is the last day for tour participants to get a signed print copy of Sarah: Book 2 of the Women in the West Adventure Series. This is an exclusive offer for the tour – my way of saying thanks for your support. Tomorrow it will no longer be available, so get ’em while you can!

Get your copy of Sarah here.

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Book your WordCrafter Book Blog Tour today!


Day 3 of the WordCrafter “Sarah” Book Blog Tour

Western town in the background. Print copy of Sarah and WordCrafter logo in foreground.
Text: Wordcrafter Book Blog Tours Presents Sarah by Kaye Lynne Booth, Book 2 of the Women in the West Adventure Series

Please join us over at Book Places for Day 3 of the WordCrafter Sarah Book Blog Tour, where host Kay Castenada interviews me, the author, Kaye Lynne Booth, and my reading of an excerpt from the book. Remember to comment for entry in the giveaway and you could get a free digital copy of the book. I hope to see you there.


Welcome to the WordCrafter “Sarah” Book Blog Tour

Western town in background. Print copy of Sarah and WordCrafter logo in foreground. 
Text: WordCrafter Book Blog Tours Presents Sarah by Kaye Lynne Booth, Book 2 of the Women in the West Adventure Series.

Welcome to the WordCrafter Sarah Book Blog Tour, where we’re celebrating the release of Book 2 in my Women in the West adventure series. We’ve got a five day tour planned and at every stop you can learn more about me, the author, and learn interesting historical facts which inspired my settings and characters through an interview, guest posts, and a review or two, and I’ll be giving away three digital copies of Sarah in the giveaway. You can follow the tour through the schedule below, but the links won’t work until each post goes live.

Tour Schedule

Mon. May 6 – “The Soiled Doves of the American West” – Writing to be Read

Tues. May 7 – “Utes in Glenwood Springs & the Legend of Chapita” – Roberta Writes

Wed. May 8 – Interview & Reading – Book Places

Thurs. May 9 – “‘Modern Medicine’ in the American West” – Writing to be Read

Fri. May 10 – Interview & Review  – Patty’s Worlds

Giveaway

Leave a comment at each tour stop for five chances to win a free digital copy of Sarah.

The Soiled Doves of the American West

Photograph of the prostitution district of Klondike City. Two rows of cabins with boardwalks on each side and a patch of dirt and weeds running down the middle. Various women can be seen in doorways down the line.
Eric A. Hegg, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Prostitution_district_of_Klondike_City,across_the_Klondike_River_from_Dawson,_Yukon_Territory,_ca_1899(HEGG_320).jpeg

Prostitution in the Old West

In Colorado, the mining town of Cripple Creek had over 300 prostitutes in 1894, and it was home to one of the most high-end brothels in the mining towns of Colorado. The clients were taken by appointment only and were put through a thorough screening process where their finances were scrutinized, as well as their references. Appointments started at $200 an hour and the gentlemen had to have at least a million dollars in the bank to get one. The Old Homestead House brothel was run by the infamous Pearl DeVere and housed five women who squeezed into their corsets, petticoats and fancy dresses every evening to offer their ‘services’ for sale. The girls entertained in luxury on the ground floor, with music provided by the girls, gambling and alcohol available for their enjoyment, but the real entertainment occured on the second floor, in the girl’s rooms.

Although their profession was illegal, authorities and town founders chose to look the other way and add fees, fines and taxes and taxes collected to the town coiffers. Permits were required ply their trade for both madams and doves, and each girl had to undergo a weekly or monthly exam by the town doctor to be cleared for the permit, all of course, at a cost. There was a designated shopping day when the ‘respectable’ ladies stayed indoors so as not to be offended by their presence, and a ‘dove’ caught on the streets on a different day would bring a fine not only upon herself, but upon her madam, as well. And donations made to local causes such as church and school by the madam kept the ‘respectable’ ladies from complaining too much about the very existence of the houses of ill repute.

Less fortunate women in the profession, who did not work in such a high-end establishment were found up and down the street They received less for their services, with small make-shift shacks in which to entertain their customers. Independent doves who had no madam to offer a place to offer their services and provide protection from unsavory types, might provide services in the shadows of an alley for as little as a dollar gold piece.

Meet Big Nose Kate

Big Nose Kate Horony is one of the historical characters which the Women in the West adventure series is known for. In real life, she was an independent prostitute and one-time Madam, who made her own way in the west and was companion to the infamous John Henry “Doc” Holliday, and her portrayal in Sarah, as ‘the woman behind the man’ is a true and accurate story. Kate was there, and she really did go into the hills of the surrounding canyon and gather firewood to sell in order to keep a roof over Doc’s head as he lay dying of tuberculosis, too weak to practice his trade as a gambler.

Head shot of Mary Katherine Horoney - Big Nose Kate
Mary Katherine Horony – Big Nose Kate, Public Domain Image

One of the fascinating things about the Women in the West adventure series is the fact that there is a true-life historical female character in a supporting role, along with the strong female protagonist in each book. In Sarah, the supporting historical character is Mary Katherine Horony, (Big Nose Kate), who was the consort of the infamous dentist, gambler, and gunfighter, John Henry (Doc) Holliday. In this case, our character was the woman behind the man, and is little known for her own merit.

Born Mary Katherine Horoney on November 7, 1850, who lived in Mexico as a child, she was the daughter of a the personal surgeon to the Emporer Maximillian until her family immigrated to Iowa when she was 10. As the daughter of a prominant surgeon, Kate was educated and it is said that she spoke several languages.

At the age of 15, she and her younger siblings were orphaned when both of their parents died within a few months of each other, and the children were split up and placed into foster care. But Kate ran away within a year, and she and her sister traveled to St. Louis and by 1869, in a time when there were few opportunities for females to earn a living. A self-sufficient woman in the rough and tumble of the American west, Kate worked as a dance hall girl, a prostitute, or just about any way she could to make a buck.

In Texas, she crossed paths with John Henry “Doc” Holliday, a dentist turned gambler, who became a notorious gunfighter, and they were traveling companions, on and off, until his dying days. A strong woman with a hot Hungarian temper, she and Doc had their ups and downs as they frequented saloons and gambling houses in Texas, Arizona and New Mexico, living a life of vice and liquor. Even so, Kate was always there to back up Doc’s play, even setting a she on fire to distract his guards and breaking him out of house arrest to avaoid a lynch mob, after he stabbed a man who accused him of cheating at cards. It is said that for a time, Kate even had her own bordello in Tombstone, before she reunited with Doc after one of their many seperations.

When Doc was dying in Glenwood Springs, Colorado, a friend contacted her and she traveled to Glenwood Springs to care for her destitute lifelong companion, gathering firewood in the nearby hills to cover his room and board when he could no longer support himself. And that is where my fictional character of Sarah, or Hair of Fire, meets Kate in my story, after a harrowing ordeal of survival through the mountains of Colorado.

You can learn more about Kate and Doc in my guest post from the tour for Delilah: Book 1 on Kay Castenada’s Book Places blog site.

References

Brinks, Mellissa. 23 September, 2021. “What Life Was Really Like as an Old West Saloon Girl”. Ranker. https://www.ranker.com/list/life-of-a-wild-west-saloon-girl/melissa-brinks

Whitley, Carla Jean. 10 March 2017. “To Doc From Kate – But Who Was Kate?” Post Independent. https://www.postindependent.com/news/local/to-doc-from-kate/

Hughs, Jessica. 11 September 2022. “10 Authentic Old West Towns”. Uncover Colorado. https://www.uncovercolorado.com/wild-west-towns-in-colorado/

Old Homestead House Museum, Cripple Creek, Colorado,

Bowmaster, Patrick A. “A Fresh Look at ‘Big Nose Kate'”. Tombstone History Archives. http://www.tombstonehistoryarchives.com/a-fresh-look-at-big-nose-kate.html

Van Ostrand, Maggie. 2017. “Katie Elder a.k.a. Big Nose Kate, Her True Story”. Goose Flats Graphics & Publishing. Southern Arizona Guide: https://southernarizonaguide.com/katie-elder-her-true-story-by-maggie-van-ostrand/

Williams, Joseph A. “The Real Story of Doc Holliday and Big Nose Kate”. Old West. https://www.oldwest.org/doc-holliday-big-nose-kate/

“Big Nose Kate – Doc Holliday’s Sidekick”. Legends of America. https://www.legendsofamerica.com/we-bignosekate/

28 February 2022. “Couples with History: Glewood Springs Loves Stories”. Glenwood Springs Blog. https://visitglenwood.com/blog/2022/02/couples-with-history-glenwood-springs-love-stories/


“The True Story of Katie Elder”. Notes from the Frontier. https://www.notesfromthefrontier.com/post/the-true-story-of-katie-elder

Book Trailer

Book trailer for Sarah

About the Book

Sarah is a young girl trying to make a place for herself in the world.

Sarah is not the young girl who was stolen away from Delilah anymore. Now she is Hair of Fire, mate of Three Hawks, even as she blossoms into a young woman and tries to make a place for herself among the Ute tribe.

Print edition of Sarah

When she is stolen away from the life she’s made with the Utes, she struggles to survive in the heart of the Rocky Mountains. A streak of stubbornness and determination take this tough, feisty heroine up against wild beasts of the forest and the rugged mountain landscape to Glenwood Springs, Colorado, where she receives a less than welcoming reception by some.

Will this young woman find her way back to the Ute tribe, which she’s come to think of as family, or will she discover a place among the colorful inhabitants of the Colorado hot springs and mining town?

Follow along on her journey to learn who she truly is and where she belongs in this rough, and often hostile frontier.

If you like strong and capable female protagonists, you’ll love Sarah.

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

About the Series

Western town in background. Print copies of Sarah, Delilah and Marta in foreground.
Text: Women in the West Adventure Series

The Women in the West adventure series features strong female protagonists in a setting filled with hardship, which many believed did not fit well with the female constitution. Women on the frontier were few, and most of those were included in a family unit. Single and widowed women did exist on the frontier, as did those whose husbands just never came home for whatever reason, went back to the family unit in most cases. Women who chose to go it alone, defying societal expectations were rare. Those who did, chose a hard life and had to have backbone to survive.

While my protagonists are fictional, they are representative of strong women who did make a way for themselves, out of choice or necessity, and each book introduces a fictionalized version of one such historical female character who plays a supporting role in the story. In Delilah, it was Baby Doe Tabor. In Sarah, it is Big Nose Kate. And Marta will feature Clara Brown.

About the Author

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

That wraps up the first stop on the tour. Thank you all for joining us. Don’t forget to leave a comment for a chance at a free digital copy of the book. Join us tomorrow over at [ ], where I’ll be guest posting on how the history of the Ute Indians helped me choose my settings.

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Book your WordCrafter Book Blog Tour today!


“Sarah” is Available for Pre-Order Now

Purchase Link: https://books2read.com/u/3RXlRx

Hey Everybody! Sarah, Book 2 in the Women in the West Adventure Series is available for pre-order. It will be released on May 7, 2024, but you can reserve your copy now.

And don’t miss out on the WordCrafter Sarah Book Blog Tour, May 6-10, starting right here on “Writing to be Read”, where you can learn more about the book and the series. There will be guest posts, interviews with the author, a reading, and a review. You’ll have the opportunity to check out the book trailer for Sarah, engage with the author, and a chance to win a free digital copy of the book.


Writer’s Corner: A Bump on the Road to Writing Success

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

What went wrong?

I have to admit I was more than a little disappointed when my last Kickstarter campiagn for Sarah didn’t fund. I only run Kickstarters for books that I’m going to publish anyway, and Sarah is no exception, so the book will still go out to distributors, it just won’t have that extra boost the funding from the campaign would have offered. As an avenue for direct selling, I make more than when my books sell through direct sales, so I like to run the Kickstarter campaign first.

For those who did try to back the campaign and were looking forward to reading Sarah, it will be released in May, instead of March. I was behind on my production schedule, and rushing to have the book finished, so as not to delay reward fulfillment. Since I don’t have any rewards to fulfill, I thought I’d slow down the process and leave ample time for editing, so I bumped the release date back to a May release. I’ll send it off with the usual fanfare and book blog tour, so you’ll be sure not to miss it. I do hope you’ll all join us for that.

I’m not letting the failure to fund discourage me from doing other Kickstarters, but instead, I’m evaluating the campaign in an attempt to figure out what went wrong. There are a number of factors to be looked at to determine where the problem might lie. Here are a few.

Duration

In the past, I’ve run 30 day campaigns which were successful. For Sarah, I only ran a 21 day campaign, which Russel Nohelty recommended as the optimal length for a campaign in an interview on The Creative Penn podcast. 30 day campaigns involve a lot of promotion, and I already feel like a pest as I push to get backing for my campaign and sell books, so the thought of doing a shorter campaign felt like a good one. Could an extra week have made a difference? Possibly. I know of at least one backer who didn’t get a chance to check it out before it ended, so maybe, but I was almost $200 short of my goal, so perhaps not.

Rewards

With my first Kickstarter, for Delilah, I offered a higher reward level, in which backers at that level got to name a character in the second book in the series, Sarah. This was limited reward, meaning only two of these rewards were offered, and both were taken. So, I did that again with Sarah, offering two character naming rights in the third book in the series, Marta, and again had both rewards taken, so I’m guessing that it was a sound decision to offer that again.

The Rock Star & The Outlaw campaign offered merchandise, including a poster and a tote bag, which were popular, but also more difficult to deliver. Merchandise is also a bigger expense for the author, which is why I didn’t do anything like that for my last camapign for Sarah. Merchandise reward levels are higher, due to necessity, but the author must consider their cost into the overall funding goal before offering to be sure it is worthwhile. On a small $500 funding goal, there’s not a lot of room for extras without cutting into the profits.

The campaign for Sarah offered rewards of Special Illustrated Editions of both books, which I thought would be a big hit, but they tanked. To my surprise, not one backer pledged at the Special Edition levels. I offered these as exclusive rewards, only available to Kickstarter backers, planning to put them out through distributors at a later date, probably after the third book was out, so I could offer all three as a set, or bundle. Again, I will still publish these through distributors, because the illustrations, done by DL Mullan of Sonoran Dawn Studios, are really, really cool, as are the Special Edition covers, also done by Mullan. But I really want to figure out why these books didn’t draw more interest as rewards, so I’ll be looking at these closer. I even dropped the price on their reward levels, and added an add-on of digital copies, both books for $5, which is a great deal.

Promotions

With my first Kickstarter campaign, for Delilah, I chanced across a promoter who made some ads for me and ran them on their channels for $15. Did they help? I don’t know, but I can tell you that the campaign was successful. However the campaign for The Rock Star & The Outlaw was just as successful, and it had no paid promotions. In fact it even did a little better than the first, so who is to say.

One thing about running a Kickstarter is, you expect your inbox to fill up with messages from people you don’t know, telling you how impressed they are with your campaign, and how they can help you make it a success. It goes with the territory. When it started to look like my campaign was faltering, I checked out some of these cold call messages, thinking maybe I could pay a little for a boost. Unfortunately, the cheapest one I found was $150. For a campaign with a $500 funding goal, that’s a lot. Especially when I’m not sure the one campaign I did paid promos with really benefited all that much from it.

Conclusions

In conclusion, I think I will go back to running my campaigns a full 30 days, as that seems to be a better fit for me and my books. But I will continue with Kickstarter as a part of my marketing plans. I may also take another look at merchandise for rewards for my next campaign, but I don’t think I’ll be looking seriously at using paid promotions, especially not at such inflated prices. I will continue to promote my own campaigns, just as I do my blog and my books.

My next campaign is scheduled for July for the first three books in the My Backyard Friends series; a project I’ve been working on for many years, but unable to publish for lack of an illustrator. I’ll be launching these three books; Heather Hummingbird Makes a New Friend, Charlie Chickadee Gets a New Home, and Timothy Turtle Discovers Jellybeans with wonderful illustrations by our own Robbie Cheadle. I’m looking forward to finally getting these books out there, so I hope you will all watch for the July campaign, and back the project or share to help promote it. All support is appreciated, even when the campaign doesn’t fund. I always appreciate my supporters.

About Kaye Lynne Booth

Author 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; Book 1 of her Women in the West adventure series, Delilah, and her Time-Travel Adventure novel, The Rock Star & The Outlaw. 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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The Final Stretch for Sarah

Book Trailer – Sarah: Book 2 of the Women in the West Adventure Series

Kickstarter Campaign Ending Soon

We’re in the final stretch of the Kickstarter campaign for Sarah as February 12th approaches, and we need your help. Kickstarters are an all or nothing deal, so all the good intentioned pledges we already have won’t mean a thing if we don’t reach the $500 funding goal, and we’re not there yet. There’s still one week to go, still time to reach the goal, but we can’t do it without your support.

I want to thank all of you who have already backed the campaign, even on the lowest tier level of $5. Every little bit helps us get closer to the funding goal and is greatly appreciated. I know times are tight right now for many of you, and for me, too. If you are in a time when you’ve had to tighten your belt and aren’t able to contribute monetarily, you can still support the project by sharing with others to help me reach those who may be better able. And I promise, I’ll appreciate any support you have to offer during this final push to make this campaign a success.

About the Project

Sarah is Book 2 in the Women in the West series of historical western women’s fiction, with strong female protagonists and fictionalized characters pulled right from the history books. At 17, Sarah discovers who she has become as she faces the dangers of the western frontier with courage and persistance when she is stolen away from the Ute tribe she has come to think of as family. When she manages to find her way to 1887 Glenwood Springs, Colorado, with her horse, Beepi and her trusted dog, Blue, she makes the acquaintance of Big Nose Kate Elder and her long time companion, Doc Holiday, as he lives out his final days, and many other colorful characters.

Your Support is Needed

Please use the link below and back this project. Help me to make the Women in the West adventure series the grand vision which I have for them. The Kickstarter campaign offers an opportunity to buy direct through the author via crowdfunding. When you buy books direct, the author makes a larger royalty than when purchased through distributors.

Plus, it offers exclusive rewards which you can’t get anywhere else: early digital copies, signed print copies, and Special Illustrated Editions of Books 1&2, not available through distributors.

Please click on the link below and help support my Kickstarter campaign for Sarah.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/kayelynnebooth-wcp/sarah-3


WordCrafter News: Kickstarter Update & My Next Project

Newsprint background. WordCrafter quill logo Text: WordCrafter News

Update on Kickstarter Campaign

The Kickstarter campaign for Sarah is in full swing, but we haven’t fully funded yet. I set a $500 goal and we’re only 25% funded. The thing about Kickstarters is that they are an all or nothing deal. The campaign ends on February 12, and if it hasn’t fully funded by then, the backers pay nothing, and the author gets nothing, and all that is lost is the time and hard work put into the campaign. So, when you make a pledge, its just that and you don’t have to pay anything until the campaign ends on February 12, if it funds, and if it doesn’t, you pay nothing, and must wait until March 19th to get a copy of Sarah through distributors.

The good thing is, once funded, the author receives anything over and above the funding goal to help support the project even further. I’ve been discussing doing the series in audiobook with a talented narrator, and if this campaign funds enough above the funding goal, you will see that happen in the future.

That’s why I really want this campaign to be successful. And there’s no reason that it can’t be. We’ve got some exclusive rewards which can’t be found anywhere else: early digital copies of Sarah, signed print copies of Sarah, and Special Illustrated Editions of both Delilah & Sarah. (Special Edition covers and illustrations by DL Mullan of Sonoran Dawn Studios.) Plus both digital and signed print copies of Delilah are available as add ons.

The best piece of advice I was given when learning about Kickstarters was only do campaigns for projects that you are going to do anyway. So, if it doesn’t fund, it won’t mean the end of the project, but it will be disappointing.

You can help, and get some of those great rewards, by backing the campaign before February 12. Your support of the project could help to reach the funding goal and more. Won’t you consider supporting this project?

You can check out the Kickstarter campaign and back this project here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/kayelynnebooth-wcp/sarah-3/

About the Books & the Series

Bookcover for Sarah in the foreground, Indian tipis in the background.
Text: Women in the West, Historical Western Women's Fiction, storng femal protagonists, fictionalized historical characters, western frontier life brought to life, Sarah, Book 2

Sarah is Book 2 of the Women in the West Adventure Series. The series is western historical women’s fiction with strong female protagonists and historical figures from the true life turned fictional in each book.

Sarah

Sarah is a young girl trying to make a place for herself in the world.

Sarah is not the young girl who was stolen away from Delilah anymore. Now she is Hair of Fire, mate of Three Hawks, even as she blossoms into a young woman and tries to make a place for herself among the Ute tribe.

When she is stolen away from the life she’s made with the Utes, she struggles to survive in the heart of the Rocky Mountains. A streak of stubbornness and determination take this tough, feisty heroine up against wild beasts of the forest and the rugged mountain landscape to Glenwood Springs, Colorado, where she receives a less than welcoming reception by some.

Will this young woman find her way back to the Ute tribe which she’s come to think of as family, or will she discover a place among the colorful inhabitants of the Colorado hot springs and mining town?

Follow along on her journey to learn who she truly is and where she belongs in this rough, and often hostile frontier.If you like strong and capable female protagonists, you’ll love Sarah.

Sarah on digital device
Bookcover: Monochrome Indian tipis in the background. Red-haired girl wrapped in woven blanket staring out at you with penetrating eyes.
Text: Sarah, Women in the West Adventure Series, Kaye Lynne Booth

About Delilah

Book Cover: Monochrome prison bars in background. Woman on a galloping horse and a noose in foreground.
Text: Delilah, Women in the West Adventure Series, Kaye Lynne Booth

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.

A New W.I.P.: The D.I.Y. Author

Book Cover: Manual Typewriter below a shelf of books. Paper in typewriter reads: Write a Book, Format The Story, Publish the Manuscript, Create a Marketing Plan, Generate Reviews, Hide Under the Covers
Cover Text: The D.I.Y. Author, Kaye Lynne Booth

In February, I’ll begin the actual writing of The D.I.Y. Author, my first writing reference book, and I’m excited to tell you about it.

I’ve put together writing reference anthologies in the past, drawing on the expertise of many authors, but The D.I.Y. Author will be the first writing reference book I’ve ever created solo, so I’m very excited, (and a bit nervous), about it. The biggest problem with putting out a reference book such as this one, is imposter syndrome. I mean, reference books are written by experts, aren’t they? So to create a book like this, you must consider yourself to be an expert and be able to convince others that you are so they will read it. I’ve never considered myself to be an expert, in fact I spend a good amount of time learning whatever I can from others whom I consider to be experts. So, looking at myself as the expert is a different point of view for me, a different mindset, but I’m learning. And that is how this book came about.

This book is about a subject that I am an expert about: doing it all yourself on a very limited budget. That’s me. It’s what I do. And in The D.I. Y. Author, I’ll be sharing all the tips and tricks that I’ve picked up along the way. I’ll share with you how I do it, from planning the book, to writing the book, to publishing and marketing the book. And it’s all stuff that you can do, too!

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