Wrapping Up the WordCrafter My Backyard Friends Book Blog Tour
Posted: July 22, 2024 Filed under: Book Promotion, Book Release, Book Sales, Books, Children's Books, Fiction, Giveaways, WordCrafter Book Blog Tours, WordCrafter Press | Tags: Charlie Chickadee Finds a NEw Home, Childrens Books, Heather Hummingbird Makes a NEw Friend, Kaye Lynne Booth, Kids Books, My Backyard Friends series, Robbie Cheadle, Timothy Turtle Discovers JEllybeans, WordCrafter Press 11 Comments
This is the final stop on the WordCrafter My Backyard Friends Book Blog Tour. So today, we’re just going to recap a few things about this series and meet the three characters who haven’t been introduced yet: Ethan Eagle from Heather Hummingbird Makes a New Friend, and Nancy Nuthatch and Katy Cat from Timothy Turtle Discovers Jellybeans. At the other stops, you should have met all the main characters, plus Becky Beaver from Timothy Turtle and Nicholas Nuthatch from Charlie Chickadee Gets a New Home. If you missed a stop or two, don’t worry. I’m including a tour schedule with links at the end of this post, in the wrap-up section. Also, before we go, I’ll reveal the surprise which I promised at the first stop. So with that in mind, let’s get on with the introductions.
But first, a reminder that you can buy direct at the My Backyard Friends Store while the tour is running and through July 24th. Discounted eBooks, pre-orders for signed print copies, (if we can raise enough to have them done in color. Monies for this item will be refunded, if not.), and the My Backyard Friends poster with all of your favorite characters.
About Heather Hummingbird Makes a New Friend
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.Heather Hummingbird Makes a New Friend is a picture book with a message of friendship and cooperation.
Heather Hummingbird and Ethan Eagle are two unlikely friends who discover that it is good to accept help from others and that is what friends are for.
If you miss the My Backyard Friends Store, which will disappear on Wednesday July 24th, you can get a digital copy of Heather Hummingbird Makes a New Friend through this retailer purchase link: https://books2read.com/MBF-HeatherHummingbird
Meet Ethan Eagle
Interview with Ethan Eagle
What type of eagle are you?
Isn’t it obvious? I am an American Bald Eagle; a national symbol, I am told.
You have lots of feathers covering your head. Why do they call you a bald eagle?
There are approximately two thousand feathers on my head, and they are all white. No other eagle has a white head. The label comes from the old English “balde” which means white.
Are American Bald Eagles and endangered species?
I am told that we are no longer endangered, although I still do not believe there are many of us. For a while there we were because humans were using some kinds of poisons that made their way up the food chain to us. It thinned the shells on our eggs so that they often were crushed under the weight of the mother sitting on them, causing our numbers to dwindle. My mother used to talk about how precious life was and how past generations struggled to keep their young alive and bring them to maturity, so us kids would not behave in a reckless manner once we learned to use our wings.
Eagles can fly very fast. Did your tiny hitchhiker slow you down much?
Not at all. Heather is only about three inches in size and I bet she only weighs about two and a half grams. I was woried at first that she might not be able to keep her hold at high wind speeds, since I have a six-foot plus wingspan and my cruizing speed is about thirty miles per hour, but she grasped some feathers with her tiny claws and tucked her body down into my underdown, leting the outer feathers block her from the wind. Heather is pretty smart for a hummingbird.
Why do you think yours and Heather’s is an unlikely friendship?
Normally, we larger birds of prey don’t bother ourselves much with birds as small as hummingbirds. When I first met Heather I found her kind of annoying. She never slowed down, and she spoke in quick, brief little snippits. She’d ask me a question and then zip away before I could answer. But the day she helped me, even when I did not believe there was anything she could do, changed the way I thought about hummingbirds, and Heather in particular.
Do you consider Heather to be your friend?
By all means. Eagles don’t have many friends. I believe we are intimidating to the smaller birds, even the hawks. We tend to be loners and we are territorial with our own kind, so we cannot ‘hang out’ together or the like. Heather is the only true friend I’ve ever had.
Fun Facts About Eagles
- American Bald Eagles can live up to 20-25 years.
- Bald Eagles have incredible eyesight, and can see in front of them and at a forty-five degree angle at the same time.
- Bald Eagles eat mostly fish, but they are also carrion eaters.
- “If a Bald Eagle catches a fish that is too heavy to lift, it may grasp the fish with its talons and use its wings like oars to swim to shore.” (“Fascinating Eagle FAQ”. National Eagle Center. https://www.nationaleaglecenter.org/learn/faq/)
- Bald Eagles have special circulation in their legs and talons which allows them to withstand very cold temperatures and stand on the ice for short periods of time.
You can meet Heather Hummingbird and learn more about hummingbirds here.
Meet Katy Cat
Interview with Katy Cat
It’s interesting that a cat is friends with a turtle. How did that come about?
I’ve known Timothy Turtle since he was not much bigger than a tadpole. Even when he was small, I couldn’t very well eat him, because of his hard shell. I’d swat him around with my paws, but I never did him any damage. As he got bigger, he’d come by my yard on his way to the raspberry patch, or the strawberry patch, or even sometimes he would visit the melon patch. No doubt about it. That boy has a terrible sweet tooth.
Why would you suggest Timothy to turn around in his shell?
Oh for heaven’s sake, I was kidding. He had a tummy ache, and I just said that he might feel better if his tummy were in the round part of his shell. I didn’t think he could actually do it. My girl, Kimmy, called me and I had to run. Kimmy gets upset when I make her wait. When I came back, I found Timothy in a terrible bind, but I have to admit, it was kind of funny, too.
You know, I agreed to come answer your questions, but I don’t think I like what you’re implying. I might have been teasing him a little, like I always do, but I waasn’t being spiteful or mean. I don’t think I want to answer anymore of your questions.
And with a flip of her tail Katy Cat has left the building.
Fun Facts About Cats
- Cats can run up to 30 mph for short distances.
- Cats use their whiskers to sense changes in the air through vibrations.
- Adult cats can leap up to 5 or 6 feet in the air, distances up to six times their body length, especially with a running start.
- “Cats have three eyelids. The third eyelid is known as the palpebra tertia or the nictitating membrane, or more simply the haw. It’s common in animals and helps to keep the lens surface clean and moist.” (“39 Amazing Facts About Cats That You May Not Know”. I Heart Cats. https://iheartcats.com/amazing-facts-about-cats/)
- The bumps and ridges on a cat’s nosepad is unique, like a human’s fingerprints.
- Cats sweat through their paw pads.
- Cats have 32 different ear muscles and can rotate their ears 180 degrees.
- One study claims that male cats are left-pawed, while females are right-pawed.
- Cats sleep 12 – 16 hours per day, about 70% of their lives, and they dream. Science believes the dream about cat stuff like hunting a mouse or running for a food bowl, when their paws twtch in their sleep.
- Cats make over 100 vocal sounds and each one has meaning.
- The oldest known evidence of a pet cat was discovered by archeologists near Cyprus in 2004, and it predates Egyptian cat art by 4000 years.
- Cats walk like camels and giraffes with a pacing gate, meaning they move both feet on one side, then the other.
- Ancient Egyptians shaved off their eyebrows in mourning when their cats died.
About Timothy Turtle Discovers Jellybeans
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.Timothy Turtle Discovers Jellybeans is a picture book with a moral message from a young turtle’s perspective.
Meet Timothy Turtle, who has a sweet tooth. He eats too many jelly beans and finds himself in a pickle. His friends Katy Cat and Betsy Beaver try to help, and Timothy learns that you can get too much of a good thing.
If you miss the My Backyard Friends Store, which will disappear on Wednesday July 24th, you can get a digital copy of Timothy Turtle Discovers Jellybeans through this retailer purchase link: https://books2read.com/MBF-TimothyTurtle
Meet Nancy Nuthatch
Interview with Nancy Nuthatch
Why did you agree to take time out of your busy day to help Timothy Turtle?
What else was I going to do? Let him starve? I had to forage and find insects for my hatchlings anyway. It didn’t take that much time to drop him an insect or two each day. They were enough to keep him alive, but not enough to let him gain weight until his tummy shrunk down to size.
Do you know Nicolas Nuthatch?
I should hope so. He’s my little brother. He’s more of a softie than I am. That’s how he met his friend Charlie Chickadee. The little guy needed a hand and Nick was there to offer one. They’ve been best friends ever since, even though they have a big age difference. I think Charlie looks up to Nick. I can’t complain. Charlie has always been a good kid.
As for me, I see Timothy around here and there. I’m sure he’s grateful for my help with his dilemma, but it’s not like he’s my best friend for life or anything. If I had to do it again, I would. It might not be such a bad thing to be a softie.
Fun Facts About Female Nuthatches
- Nuthatches lay 5 – 9 eggs each breeding season. The female sits on the nest and incubates the eggs for 12-14 days, while the male brings food to the nest for her. They have one brood per year.
- Both parents feed the youngsters until they are ready to leave the nest between 14-26 days. Young are fed a diet made up entirely of insects and spiders.
- Pairs mate for life and remain together year round. Mating behaviors begin in late winter, as early as January in some areas. Male raises his head and spreads his tail feathers, droops his wings, sways back and forth, and bows deeply to his mate in courtship. He may also feed her when courting. (“The White-Breasted Nuthatch”. Audobon. https://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/white-breasted-nuthatch#)
- Nuthatches nest in large natural cavities or vacated woodpecker holes. The females line the nest with bark fibers, grasses, twigs and hair. And they sweep the nest inside and out with insects crushed in their beaks. It is believed that the chemical secretions fend off predators.
Meet Timothy Turtle and learn more about turtles here.
Meet Becky Beaver and learn more about beavers here.
About Charlie Chickadee Gets a New Home
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. Charlie Chickadee Gets a New Home is a story of survival from a young bird’s perspective.
Charlie Chickadee is happy with his family in their cozy nest. But whem the violet-green swallows thake the nest for their own, Charlie finds himself alone, seperated from his parents and on his own to face the dangers of the forest. His new friend Nicholas Nuthatch shows him the ropes and teaches him about the other birds and the woman who puts out food each day, and by a stroke of liuck, Charlie discovers the perfect spot and builds a new nest that he can be proud of.
If you miss the My Backyard Friends Store, which will disappear on Wednesday July 24th, you can get a digital copy of Charlie Chickadee Gets a New Home through this retailer purchase link: https://books2read.com/MBF-CharlieChickadee
Meet Charlie Chickadee and learn more about chickadees here.
Meet Nicholas Nuthatch and learn more about nuthatches here.
Wrap-Up
That about wraps things up for the tour. If you’ve followed the tour, you’ve met all the characters introduced in the first three books in the My Backyard Friends Kid’s Book Series. While we had them all together for the tour, we also put together a cool poster, kind of like a group photo, in honor of the tour. Every kid would love to have this poster, featuring Robbie Cheadles wonderful illustrations, on their wall. But you can only get this fabulous poster at the My Backyard Friends Store until July 24th, so get one for each of the kids in your life now.
But wait! There’s one more surprise to reveal.
Surprise Giveaway!
Tell me in the comments which character is your favorite and the most interesting thing you learned about them during the tour for a chance to win one of two digital sets of all three books in a random drawing. After the tour ends, I’ll leave the comments open until Wednesday, so that everyone will have time to go back and visit stops they missed and get their comments in. The winners will be announced in my August segment of “WordCrafter News” on Monday July 29th, along with who the most popular character turns out to be.
Tour Schedule
Monday – July 15 – Writing to be Read – Release Party & My Backyard Friends Store
Tuesday – July 16 – Roberta Writes – Mini-interview with Nicholas & Heather guest post by Kaye Lynne Booth
Wednesday – July 17 – Undawnted – Mini-interview with Heather Hummingbird & Review
Thursday – July 18 – Robbie’s Inspiration – Mini-interview with Becky Beaver & Timothy guest post by Kaye Lynne Booth
Friday – July 19 – Undawnted – Mini-interview with Timothy Turtle & review
Saturday – July 20 – Carla Loves to Read – Charlie guest post by Kaye Lynne Booth & reviews x3
Sunday – July 21 – Undawnted – Mini-interview with Charlie Chickadee & review
Monday – July 22 – Writing to be Read – Mini-interviews w/ Ethan Eagle, Nancy Nuthatch, and Katy Cat & Wrap up
___________________________________
Book your WordCrafter Book Blog Tour today!
Share this:
Day 4 of the WordCrafter My Backyard Friends Book Blog Tour
Posted: July 18, 2024 Filed under: Animals, Book Release, Books, Children's Books, Guest Post, Illustrations, WordCrafter Book Blog Tours, WordCrafter Press | Tags: Kaye Lynne Booth, My Backyard Friends series, Robbie Cheadle, Timothy Turtle Discovers JEllybeans, WordCrafter Press Leave a comment
Today we’re over at Robbie’s Inspiration for Day 4 of the WordCrafter My Backyard Friends Book Blog Tour with a guest post from me, some fun facts about beavers, and a mini-interview with Robbie and Becky Beaver. Join us in helping to send off the series and raise enough to publish them in color print editions.
Share this:
Growing Bookworms – illustrating children’s books #childrensfiction #growingbookworms #readingcommunity
Posted: July 10, 2024 Filed under: Animals, Birds, Books, Children's Books, Fiction, Growing Bookworms, Illustrations, Writing | Tags: Children's Books, Growing Bookworms, Illustrations, Kid's Series, My Backyard Friends series, Robbie Cheadle, WordCrafter Press, Writing to be Read 47 Comments
I have always loved reading. I started reading at the age of four years old and have never stopped. I consume books like dinners. When I was a little girl, I used to read books from the library. I didn’t own many books myself. I loved books with bold and bright illustrations and I always think of Richard Scarry’s books first.
Richard Scarry used personification for the animals in his books. They all walk and talk like humans and they wear clothes. They are delightful, but they are not representative of the world of nature and the reality of nature. When I was little, I knew about animals. I was exposed to them and I knew that milk came from cows, eggs came from chickens, and other things about meat that I’ve always tried not to think about to much. As I grew older, I read other books that included the personification of animals. One of my favourite books in this genre is Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame.
Last year, when I discovered an aptitude for drawing and painting, I thought I would turn my hand to creating pictures of the animals and birds I love so much. I have now created several animal pictures which you can see on my art page here:
In June 2023, Kaye Lynne asked me if I would like to illustrate her My Backyard Friends books. I thought about it and decided to give it a go, even though I hadn’t ever tried to do drawn/painted illustrations before. I was busy at the time with creating the illustrations and story for my latest children’s book, Neema the Misfit Giraffe.
Before embarking on illustrating books for children, I reflected for some time on what the best type of illustration would be for modern children. Children who grow up in cities now don’t have much interaction with animals. They don’t know that milk comes from cows and eggs come from chickens. I decided it was necessary for them to see the reality of the animal world and not a fantasy, personified versions. Especially given the Sixth Mass Extinction our planet is currently facing with the endangerment of many of our animal species world wide. If believed it was better for children to be exposed to wildlife in a true and natural way. I hoped it would help to stimulate interest and passion for our animals. Afterall, our children are the next generation and will have to carry the torch for the salvation of what is left of the animal kingdom.
It is for these reasons that my drawings and paintings of wildlife and birds in my own children’s books and in Kaye Lynne’s children’s books are based off real photographs and are not personified or animated in any way. I am happy with how the illustrations have worked out and I hope that they will make a small difference towards saving our limited supply of remaining animals and birds.
About Robbie Cheadle
Award-winning, bestselling author, Robbie Cheadle, has published fifteen children’s book and three poetry books. Her work has also appeared in poetry and short story anthologies.
Robbie also has two novels published under the name of Roberta Eaton Cheadle and has horror, paranormal, and fantasy short stories featured in several anthologies under this name.
The eleven Sir Chocolate children’s picture books, co-authored by Robbie and Michael Cheadle, are written in sweet, short rhymes which are easy for young children to follow and are illustrated with pictures of delicious cakes and cake decorations. Each book also includes simple recipes or biscuit art directions which children can make under adult supervision.
Robbie and Michael’s new Southern African Safari Adventures series is aimed at teaching young children about Southern African wildlife in a fun and entertaining way. Each book contains a rhyming verse story about a particular animal, as well as illustrations by Robbie Cheadle, photographs and links to video footage about that animal.
Robbie’s blog includes recipes, fondant and cake artwork, poetry, and book reviews. https://robbiesinspiration.wordpress.com/
_____________________________________________
Want to be sure not to miss any of Robbie’s “Growing Bookworms” segments? Subscribe to Writing to be Read for e-mail notifications whenever new content is posted or follow WtbR on WordPress. If you found it interesting or entertaining, please share.
________________________________________________
This segment of “Growing Bookworms” is sponsored by the My Backyard Friends Kid’s Book Series and WordCrafter Press.
The My Backyard Friends kid’s book series is inspired by the birds and animals that visit the author Kaye Lynne Booth’s mountain home. Beautiful illustrations by children’s author, poet, and illustrator, Robbie Cheadle, bring the unique voices of the animal characters to life.
Pre-Oder Your Copy Now.
Heather Hummingbird Makes a New Friend (Ages 3-5): https://books2read.com/MBF-HeatherHummingbird
Timothy Turtle Discovers Jellybeans (Ages 3-5): https://books2read.com/MBF-TimothyTurtle
Charlie Chickadee Gets a New Home (Ages 6-8): https://books2read.com/MBF-CharlieChickadee
Share this:
Writer’s Corner: Being Prolific
Posted: July 9, 2024 Filed under: Books, WordCrafter Press, Writer's Corner, Writing, Writing Life, Writing Resource | Tags: Author, Becoming Prolific, Books, Kaye Lynne Booth, Publishing, The D.I.Y. Author, WordCrafter Press, Writing 2 Comments
When I hear the word prolific, I think of Kevin J.Anderson, who puts out between 7-9 books per year. He’s one of the most prolific writers that I know of, although veteran bestselling authors, Dean Wesley Smith and Kathryn Christine Rusch, may rival, or even surpass him. But we cannot all be that prolific. But we can learn from authors like these, who have spent their lifetimes writing professionally, and making a decent living at it.
For many years, I did not know how to be prolific. Delilah took me three years to write, and then I worked almost another year revising it to re-release as the first book in the Women in the West Adventure Series. I even wrote a post in about accepting the fact that “We Can’t All be Prolific” because of how not-prolific I was back in 2022. It was something which I didn’t know could be changed or how to go about changing it.
Since then, I’ve learned a few things that have helped me to become more prolific, and I’m now publishing between 5 – 8 books per year. That’s why the first section of The D.I.Y. Author is dedicated to the methods I’ve used to increase my productivity and become a more prolific author; because I wanted to share some of the methods I’ve used to increase my writing productivity. By becoming prolific, I’ve been able to get my name out there where it can be recognized and having more products, in this case, books, to sell. When you publish 5 books per year, that’s 5 different chances to reach new readers, but its also five chances to remind current readers that you’re still around and active.
The following, are tips that I’ve accumulated, from The D.I.Y. Author.
Becoming Prolific
- Outlining: Creating at least a working outline to help guide the direction of your story. If you have an idea of where you are going before you start, you can get words on the page faster.
- Doubling Down on Research and Promotional Materials: Research is something that needs to be done for every book, regardless of genre. If you can find other uses for this same research, you can essentially make it do double duty. For example, during the historic research I did for the Women in the West Adventure Series, I uncovered many interesting facts that may or may not have been used in the story, and could also be used to make interesting blog posts for the tours for their releases, thus becoming a marketing tool, as well as a good story inspiration. Or you can use the same inspiration for a second story in some cases.
- Write the Damned Book: Just sit down and write. It’s a simple piece of advice, but one many authors, or would-be authors, fail to recognize. In The D.I.Y. Author, I offer a couple of methods of achieving the desired results, including Binge Writing, which isn’t always for everyone, and Persistant Determination, which is plugging away at it every chance you get.
- NaNoWriMo: The principle is to set aside the month of November to work exclusively on your novel at every opportunity and setting a daily wordcount which will allow you to reach a goal of 50,000 words within that timeframe. But you don’t need to wait until Novemeber to do this. Just set aside a 30 day period and dedicate to writing your story. I use NANoWriMo to get a start on one of the two novel length works I write and publish each year. In the book, I offer a couple of strategies for making the most of your time, including Time Blocking, and Tracking Your Word Count.
- Dictation: This is a strategy for becoming prolific that isn’t right for everyone, but works well for those who are comfortable with it.
- Networking and Collaborations: It takes longer to write a novel length work than it does to write a short story or two to include in an anthology, and it’s a great way to add more titles to your author pages. Through WordCrafter Press, I publish at least two anthologies per year, and sometimes more.
- Maximizing Your IP: Intellectual Property are the rights to your creative endeavors, or copyright, and an author needs to understand their copyrights, and take care not to sign away more than absolutely necessary when entering into a contract with a publisher. It is also important to understand when your rights will be returned, because when you hold the copyright, you can use that work in any way which you deem fit, allowing your writings to do double, or even triple duty.
- Optimizing Your Backlist: Many authors don’t put a lot into their backlist, but there are things you can do to keep your backlist items in front of readers’ eyes and on their minds, such as creating multiple formats, special editions, and price promotions.
- Taking Care of Mind, Body & Spirit: Keeping yourself healthy is also condusive to being prolific, as we all write better when our minds are sharp and alert, out bodies are well rested and healthy, and we have a place of our own, dedicated to writing.
- Outsourcing: When there is too much for one person to do it all, and believe me there will be, outsourcing certain tasks can be of great advantage, even to the D.I.Y. author.
Why Become Prolific?
To put it simply, the more prolific you are, the more books you have to sell. The bigger your library of books, the more opportunities for readers to discover you and your writing.
I’ve offered a basic list of the methods I’ve used to become more prolific. Some have worked better than others for me and I talk about them in more depth in The D.I.Y. Author. To learn more, you can get your copy from your favorite retailer here: https://books2read.com/The-DIY-Author.
____________________________________
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. 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.
____________________
This post is sponsored by The D.I.Y. Author and WordCrafter Press.
Being an author today is more than just writing the book. Authors in this digital age have more opportunities than ever before. Whether you pursue independent or traditional publishing models, or a combination of the two, being an author involves not only writing, but often, the publishing and marketing of the book.
In this writer’s reference guide, multi-genre author and independent publisher, Kaye Lynne Booth shares her knowledge and experiences and the tools, books, references and sites to help you learn the business of being an author.
Topics Include:
And more…
Becoming Prolific
Writing Tools
Outlining
Making Quality a Priority
Publishing Models & Trends
Marketing Your Book
Book Covers & Blurbs
Book Events—In Person & Virtual
Purchase your copy today: https://books2read.com/The-DIY-Author
Share this:
See the Fireworks with “The Rock Star & The Outlaw”
Posted: July 3, 2024 Filed under: Book Sales, Books, Fiction, Science Fiction, Time travel, Western, WordCrafter Press | Tags: Book Sale, Kaye Lynne Booth, The Rock Star & the Outlaw, WordCrafter Press 1 Comment
On Sale for $4.99 – One Day Only – July 4th, 2024
Purchase Link: https://books2read.com/RockStarOutlaw
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.
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.
Get Your Copy at the Discounted Price While You Can!
This post is sponsored by WordCrafter Press.
Share this:
A great review for “Sarah”
Posted: July 2, 2024 Filed under: Book Review, Books, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Review, Western, Women in History, Women's Fiction, WordCrafter Press | Tags: Book Review, Historical Fiction, Leonberger, Sarah, Western, Women in the West, Women's Fiction, WordCrafter Press 6 CommentsDrop 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. 🙂
Share this:
Summer Reading List from WordCrafter Press On Sale Now
Posted: June 16, 2024 Filed under: Anthology, Book Sales, Books, Dark Fantasy, Dark fiction, Fairy Tales, Fantasy, Horror, Paranormal, Science Fiction, Short Fiction, Speculative Fiction, Stories, WordCrafter Press | Tags: Anthologies, Book Sale, Lingering Spirit Whispers, Midnight Roost, Once Upon an Ever After, Refracted Reflections, Visions, WordCrafter Press 1 Comment
Now through August 31, all WordCrafter Press anthologies on our summer reading list are on sale!
Lingering Spirit Whispers
Three great WordCrafter paranormal anthologies bundled into one exceptional paranormal anthology set: Whispers of the Past, Spirits of the West, and Where Spirits Linger. Thought provoking short fiction for every lover of ghost stories and paranormal tales.
Only $4.99 during the Summer Reading List Sale June 15 – August 31
Purchase link: https://books2read.com/LingeringSpiritWhispers
Once Upon am Ever After: Modern Fairy Tales & Folklore
This unique and imaginative collection of eleven thought provoking fantasy stories will delight readers who enjoy stories of wishes gone awry.
What happens when…
A woman desires to carry on her family’s legacy, uncovering a long-buried curse?
A not so perfect witch casts a spell to defy age and preserve her relationship with her handsome shapeshifting familiar?
A time traveler longs to be the savior of knowledge lost?
An incompetent delivery boy becomes an unlikely savior of forgotten artifacts?
A magic mirror yearns for a different question?
A tiny story witch desires to share her stories with the world?
Spells are cast, unlikely alliances made, and wishes granted, sometimes with surprising outcomes. You’ll love this anthology of modern myths, lore, and fairy tales. Once you read these twisted tales, you’ll be sure to be careful what you wish for….
If you liked Gilded Glass, you’ll enjoy Once Upon an Ever After: Modern Myths & Fairy Tales, short stories with thought provoking themes, captivating characters and diverse cultures, from humorous to horrifying, from the legendary past to possible futures and back to the here and now.
Only $2.99 during the Summer Reading List Sale June 15 – August 31.
Purchase Link: https://books2read.com/OnceUponanEverAfter
Refracted Reflections: Twisted Tales of Duality & Deception
Reflections and Refractions…
One reveals truths, while the other bends light into varying shapes of deception.
Does a small camp mirror reveal hope… or death?
Is the warrior in the mirror a monster… or a protector?
Does a glimpse in the mirror reveal a young woman’s true self… or what someone else has shaped her into?
Does the mysterious portal to the future reflect what could be… or what must be left behind?
Are the dancers reflected in the water’s depth things of beauty… or evil?
This unique and imaginative collection of nine mind tantalizing fantasy and science fiction stories will appeal to readers who enjoy thought provoking tales with hidden meanings resting deep below the surface. These stories will keep you pondering long into the night.
If you liked Gilded Glass or Once Upon an Ever After, you’ll love Refracted Reflections.
Only $2.99 during the Summer Reading List Sale June 15 – August 31.
Purchase Link: https://books2read.com/RefractedReflections
Visions
An author’s visions are revealed through their stories. Many authors have strange and unusual stories, indeed. Within these pages, you will find the stories of eighteen different authors, each unique and thought provoking. These are the fantasy, science fiction, paranormal, and horror stories that will keep you awake long into the night.
What happens when:
An inexplicable monster plagues a town for generations, taking people… and souvenirs?
A post-apocalyptic band of travelers finds their salvation in an archaic machine?
The prey turns out to be the predator for a band of human traffickers?
Someone chooses to be happy in a world where emotions are regulated and controlled?
A village girl is chosen to be the spider queen?
Grab your copy today and find out. Let authors such as W.T. Paterson, Joseph Carabis, Kaye Lynne Booth, Michaele Jordan, Stephanie Kraner, and others, including the author of the winning story in the WordCrafter 2022 Short Fiction Contest, Roberta Eaton Cheadle, tantalize your thoughts and share their Visions
Only $3.99 during the Summer Reading List sale June 15 – August 31.
Purchase Link: https://books2read.com/VisionsAnthology
Midnight Roost: Weird & 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.
Only $4.99 during the WordCrafter Summer Readng List Sale June 15 – August 31.
Purchase Link: https://books2read.com/MidnightRoost
_________________________________________
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.
Share this:
My Backyard Friends – Available for Pre-Order Now!
Posted: June 11, 2024 Filed under: Advertising, Books, Children's Books, Fiction, Illustrations, WordCrafter Press | Tags: Books, Charlie Chickadee Finds a NEw Home, Children's Books, Fiction, Heather Hummingbird Makes a NEw Friend, Kaye Lynne Booth, Kid's Series, My Backyard Friends series, Picture Books, Timothy Turtle Discovers JEllybeans, WordCrafter Press 7 Comments
The first three books in the My Backyard Friends kid’s book series are available for pre-order in digital format now!
Don’t miss these fantastic new kid’s books inspired by the birds and animals which visit me at my mountain home, and brought to life in the vivid illustrations of Robbie Cheadle.
Meet Heather Hummingbird
Heather Hummingbird Makes a New Friend is a picture book with a message of friendship and cooperation. (Ages 3-5)
Heather Hummingbird and Ethan Eagle are two unlikely friends who discover that it is good to accept help from others and that is what friends are for.
Pre-Order Now: https://books2read.com/u/471vzj
Meet Timothy Turtle
Timothy Turtle Discovers Jellybeans is a picture book with a moral message from a young turtle’s perspective. (Ages 3-5)
Meet Timothy Turtle, who has a sweet tooth. He eats too many jelly beans and finds himself in a pickle. His friends Katy Cat and Betsy Beaver try to help, and Timothy learns that you can get too much of a good thing.
Pre-Order Now: https://books2read.com/u/3LL5K7
Meet Charlie Chickadee
Charlie Chickadee Gets a New Home is a story of survival from a young bird’s perspective. (Ages 6-8)
Charlie Chickadee is happy with his family in their cozy nest. But whem the violet-green swallows thake the nest for their own, Charlie finds himself alone, seperated from his parents and on his own to face the dangers of the forest. His new friend Nicholas Nuthatch shows him the ropes and teaches him about the other birds and the woman who puts out food each day, and by a stroke of luck, Charlie discovers the perfect spot and builds a new nest that he can be proud of.
Pre-Order Now: https://books2read.com/u/md2YLO
Share this:
Announcing the Winner of the 2024 WordCrafter Short Fiction Contest
Posted: June 8, 2024 Filed under: Anthology, Dark Fantasy, Dark fiction, Fiction, Short Fiction, Stories, WordCrafter Press, Writing Contest | Tags: 2024 Dark Fiction Anthology, 2024 WordCrafter Short Fiction Contest, Contest Winners, WordCrafter Press, Writing to be Read 5 Comments
Congratulations to the Winners!
I’m excited to announce that the winner of the 2024 WordCrafter Short Fiction Contest is M.J. Mallon, with her story, “The Seagull Man” – an exquistly dark short story. Runners-up have also been invited to be included in the anthology and a select few were asked to revise and submit for round two amd may be included, depending on how much room we have after all invitational submissions have been considered.
Runners-up included:
- “The Fae Game”, by Danaeka Scrimshaw
- “The Peddler”, by Peter McKay
- “The Blackest Ink”, by Paul Martz
- “Antepenultimate”, by Molly Ertel
We had a good number of submissions to the contest this year, and together with the stories submitted by invitation, we’re going to have a deliciously dark fiction anthology come October. I am going through the invitational submissions now.
Share this:
Welcome to the D.I.Y. Author Release Party!
Posted: June 4, 2024 Filed under: Book Covers, Book Event, book marketing, Book Promotion, Book Release, Book Sales, Books, Indie Publishing, Nonfiction, Publishing, Self-Publishing, WordCrafter Press, Writing, writing advice, Writing Business, Writing Resource, Writing Tips, Writing to be Read | Tags: Author Business, book marketing, independent publishing, Kaye Lynne Booth, Publishing, Release Party, The D.I.Y. Author, WordCrafter Press, Writing Reference, Writing to be Read 12 Comments
About the Book
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…
Meet the Author
Greetings! Thank you so much for dropping by to help us celebrate the release of The D.I.Y. Author. You all know me as author Kaye Lynne Booth, but with the release of this book, I hope to be known as the D.I.Y. author. This is the book that only I could write, where I share knowledge and experience as I build my author business. This is not a book on craft, but a reference for authors and aspiring authors who wish to expand and grow their author business on a limited budget. Learn the tips and tricks, sites and tools, which took me over a decade, and three masters degrees to amass.
I’ve always been a do it yourself kind of gal. I’ve built my author business up around this blog, finding ways around obstacles which stood in my way, learning new skill sets because outsourcing was more than I could afford. My first novel was published by a small independent publisher. But as the five-year contract ran out, I felt I could do better through my own small independent publishing house, WordCrafter Press, so I re-published it as the first book in my Women in the West adventure series last year, and I sold more copies than that other publisher had over a five year stretch. I just released the second book in the series this month. When Covid struck, I organized and hosted two virtual writing conferences, because writers are tribal bunch, and we need contact with like minded people. Networking is a huge part of building an author business. I use that networking to build not only my author business, but my own author tribe. I’ve published my own books, and collaborative anthologies, as well as publishing books for others. And I’ve built a winning blog team here on Writing to be Read with Robbie Cheadle, Jeff Bowles, Arthur Rorsch, and DL Mullan.
No one else has shared in these exact same experiences that I have, and that’s why only I could write The D.I.Y. Author, and why I can hold that title. But enough about me. The D.I.Y. Author is a great reference packed full of links to sites and tools and tips for increasing productivity, publishing choices, and marketing your books.
We have a great release party ahead to send this book off right. We’ve got exclusive offers running this week only. After Saturday, the whole D.I.Y. store will disappear, so take advantage of them now. By buying direct, you are supporting this author and her works more than when you purchase from retailers.
My D.I.Y. Video
On with the party!
Thanks for dropping by for The D.I.Y. Author virtual release party. We’ve got some great things planned, including a giveaway for all attendees, so be sure to leave a comment, so I’ll know you were here. I’ll be monitoring the comments throughout the day and will answer any questions you might want to post there. While you’re here you can peruse the D.I. Y. store below, for exclusive and discounted offers that you won’t find anywhere else. The store will come down at the end of the week. After that you’ll have to pay full price through retailers, and signed copies will no longer be available.
And if you are already a bestselling author and you don’t need this book or the WordCrafter services offered here, you can still offer your support for the author and this project by using the ‘buy me a soda’ button below.
Buy me a soda
Show your support for author Kaye Lynne Booth and her many endeavors through WordCrafter Press & Writing to be Read.
$1.00
You can get a sample of the topics in the book in my post,”Writer’s Corner: What it means to be an Indie Author”
Thanks for joining me today for The D.I.Y. Author Release Party. I hope you found a few useful tidbits here. For more tips and advice, you’ve got to buy the book. If you miss the window for the D.I.Y. Store, you can still purchase this useful writer’s reference here: https://books2read.com/The-DIY-Author
