Writer’s Corner: What it means to be an indie author
Posted: May 13, 2024 Filed under: Book Promotion, Book Review, Writing, Writing Business | Tags: Author Business, Book promotions, Book Reviews, The D.I. Y. Author, Writer's Corner, Writing to be Read Leave a comment
You Are a Business
So you want to be an indie author.
You like to write, and maybe you’re good at it. You might even have written a book and published it. Now what?
What many people don’t realize, is that when you become an indie author, you are also an author business, and there’s more to it than just publishing a book. Hopefully, you have enough pride in your writing to want it to be , so you put your manuscript in front of an editor, or at least another set of eyes, then polished it to make it shine before you hit publish. But it’s after you hit that publish button that the real work starts.
Why? Because books don’t sell themselves. No one will buy your book if they never see it. You have to do something, or a lot of somethings, to get your book in front of readers’ eyes.
Isn’t that what Amazon is for? The answer is yes and no. Amazon’s marketing is based on several algorithms, and when although many things are still guesswork concerning those algorithms, one thing is for sure. The books they pick up on for promotion are books that are already doing well. Also, you have better chances of making some of the lists which get promotion if you are a KU author and your book is exclusive on Amazon.
So what does that mean for you? Well, it means that you have to do the heavy lifting of marketing and promotion to get your book selling before Amazon, (or other retailers), are going to see it as a book worth promoting. You need to draw in readers and stack up reviews, and we’re talking lots of them, so you can make those algorithms sit up and pay attention.
How do we do that? There are many avenues of promotion for your book, so that really depends on the route or routes that work best for you and your book. We’ll get back to the promotion in a bit.
Getting Reviews
But getting reviews requires research into book reviewers who are out there and what type of books they like to review, and making a list of those that read your genre. In my case, I’m a multi-genre author, so I have several lists. Then you write-up a press release to act as your official review request. Then you send that press release out to every reviewer on the list who might be interested in reviewing your list. There are a lot of reviewers out there, so your list may be a long one. I send out between 50 and 100 review requests for every book I publish, and from that, I may get four or five reviews, if I’m lucky.
You can also try making connections in the blogging community and asking blogger friends to review in exchange for an ARC or join a review group, like Sandra’s Book Club, where you list your book for a month in exchange for giving a review of someone else’s book. During your month you could potentially recieve two or three reviews.
You might also try building a street team of reviewers, who agree to review your book in exchange for an ARC copy of your book, and post it on or around release day. But this is more work, because it is your job to follow through and make sure they actually post their reviews.
Promoting Your Book
There are many avaneues of promotion. If you want paid promotions, which are always recommended, but not always affordable, there are Amazon Ads, Facebook Ads, BookBubs, The Fussy Libraian, King Sumo, Bargain Booksie, Free Booksie, and the list goes on. I don’t use paid ads, but I know they are available if I want them.
Social media promotion is the most easily accessible avenue for promoting your book. It is as easy as creating a post that tells us something about the book to make us want to buy it, has a call to action, and a purchase link, then promoting it to groups whose members are in your target audience and might be interested in your book.
My main tool for promotion is this blog. Most of my promotions start off here and then I promote the blog post on social media channels. A blog post is more permanant than a social media post, which easily gets lost in the scroll. I have people reacting or commenting on posts a week after I post it, but when it is a blog post, it is still there no matter when someone clicks on the link.
Conclusion
The point to all of this is that indie authors have to be able to do more than just write books. You are actually an author business and you are totally responsible for the success, (or failure), of your books. Getting reviews and promoting the book are only part of it. What are you doing about book covers? What about the back cover copy? Are you creating your own ads, or paying someone else to do it? These are things an indie author has to think about. You need an overall business plan and a marketing plan for each book. That’s why I wrote The D.I.Y. Author.
The D.I.Y. Author
Now you can learn from my experiences with a writing reference for building an author business.
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…
On Pre-order Now: https://books2read.com/The-DIY-Author
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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; 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.
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Book Review: The Texian Prisoners
Posted: May 10, 2024 Filed under: Book Review, Books, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Review, Western | Tags: Book Review, Historic Fiction, Loretta Miles Tollefson, The Texian Prisoners, Western, Writing to be Read Leave a comment
About the Book
They called themselves “Texians.”
In Fall 1841, a band of roughly 300 men straggled out of the Staked Plains into New Mexico. They had intended to claim everything east of the Rio Grande for Texas. Instead, they were captured and sent south to El Paso del Norte, then on to Mexico City. The largest group of prisoners, which included journalist George Wilkins Kendall, was escorted to El Paso by Captain Damasio Salazar. Five prisoners died on that trek. Kendall would later write a book describing the experience, a book which accused Salazar of food deprivation, mutilation, and murder, and fed the glowing coals that would become the Mexican-American War.
But what really happened on the way to El Paso? The Texian Prisoners tells the story through the eyes of Kendall’s friend George Van Ness, a lawyer burdened with the ability to see his enemy’s point of view, and asks us to consider the possibility that Kendall’s report was not unbiased.
A historically accurate retelling of Larry McMurtry’s Dead Man’s Walk, this fictional memoir will make you question everything you thought you knew about Texas, New Mexico, and the boundary between them.
Purchase Link: https://www.amazon.com/Texian-Prisoners-Biographical-Novel-Mexico-ebook/dp/B0CQ9TYK9L/
My Review
I received a digital copy of The Texian Prisoners from author Loretta Miles Tollefson in exchange for an honest review. I am a fan of Tollefson’s historical western fiction and have reviewed several of her books:
I always learn much I did not know from Tolleffson’s well researched books, and The Texian Prisoners did not disappoint. I knew very little about this time period in Old New Mexico, which takes place prior to and was a precursor to the Mexican American war. It was a violent time and so many lost their lives in the struggle for independence, this story tells of the men who declared the independence of Texas, demanding recognition of both the United States and Mexico, and were subsequently captured by the Mexican militia and marched across the brutal landscape under harsh conditons to Mexico City to await the judgement of Santa Anna.
This story is well-crafted and well-written, making me feel the discomforts the Texian prisoners were subjected to as if I were marching along the trek with them. Tollefson has an uncanny ability to get into her historical character’s heads and bring it to the page. The story is told from the point-of-view of McCaferty, the only Spanish speaking prisoner, who was used as interpreter, and who was in a position to speak up for his fellow prisoners. Tollefson has done her homework, combing through diaries and documents to bring this true life journey to the page, offering the viewpoints of the prisoners as well as a peek into the the motivation behind the actions of the Mexican leaders. Such a journey would undoubtedly change the lives of those who endured it, prisoners and captors alike.
An enthralling story that will keep you reading to the end and may teach you a thing or two about this country’s history. I give The Texian Prisoners five quills.
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Kaye Lynne Booth does honest book reviews on Writing to be Read in exchange for ARCs. Have a book you’d like reviewed? You can request a review on the Book Review tab above.
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Growing Bookworms – Age groups for children’s books: Middle-grade Fiction #growingbookworms #childrensfiction
Posted: May 8, 2024 Filed under: Children's Books, Growing Bookworms | Tags: Children's Books, Growing Bookworms, middlegrade, Robbie Cheadle, Writing to be Read 38 Comments
What is middle-grade fiction
Middle-grade fiction is aimed at readers aged between 8 and 12 years old. This genre is intended to be a bridge between simple children’s stories and stories that are more emotionally or thematically advanced. Importantly, middle-grade is not a genre, it is an age-based categorisation. Middle-grade fiction comes in all sorts of genres.
Books falling into the middle-fiction category are usually 30,000 to 50,000 words in length and are frequently in the third person point of view. The protagonist is usually between the ages of 10 and 13 years old and there is no graphic violence, sexuality or swearing.
While middle-grade stories can include heavy topics such as death, illness, mental illness, and war, the stories generally focus on dynamics between family and friends and don’t go into introspective discoveries and or social dynamics in the greater world.
Famous examples of midde-grade fiction
Holes by Louis Sachar
An excellent example of a complex middle-grade book is Holes by Louis Sachar. The main themes of Holes are: The power of fate to determine events; the benefits of friendship; the destructive nature of cruelty; and the importance of history in every day life.
This is the Amazon US blurb for Holes:
Stanley Yelnats’ family has a history of bad luck, so when a miscarriage of justice sends him to Camp Green Lake Juvenile Detention Centre (which isn’t green and doesn’t have a lake), it’s not exactly a surprise.
Every day he and the other inmates are told to dig a hole each, five foot wide by five foot deep, reporting anything they find. Why? The evil warden claims that it builds character, but this is a lie. It’s up to Stanley to dig up the truth.
A masterpiece of storytelling that combines sly humour with irresistible, page-turning writing.
You can purchase Holes from Amazon US here: https://www.amazon.com/Holes-Louis-Sachar-ebook
Roald Dahl’s books
Roald Dahl is synonymous with childhood in my mind. I absolutely loved his dark and quirky books when I was a young reader. I read these books to my two youngest sisters and also to both my sons. When I got the chance, I also read them to my nieces and nephews. I am a Dahl fan!
These are a few wonderful quotes from Roald Dahl’s books:
“A person is a fool to become a writer. His only compensation is absolute freedom. He has no master except his own soul, and that, I am sure, is why he does it.” from Boy: Tale of Childhood
“So please, oh please, we beg, we pray, Go throw your TV set away, And in its place, you can install A lovely bookshelf on the wall. Then fill the shelves with lots of books.” from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
“Well, maybe it started that way. As a dream, but doesn’t everything.” from James and the Giant Peach (this is my favourite as it includes an assortment of giant bugs including Miss Spider).
You can find all of Roald Dahl’s books on Amazon US here: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Roald-Dahl/author/B000AQ0WGQ
Roald Dahl inspired a few of my fondant creations:
Toni Pike is a modern Indie author who has captured the same quirky and darkly humorous style of writing as Roald Dahl. You can find all of Toni Pike’s books here: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Toni-Pike/author/B009I70E8Y
Middle-grade series
There are several excellent middle-grade series.
My sons both loved Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson. The first book in the series in Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief. The hero, Percy Jackson, is half human and half Greek god. A quote from the Amazon blurb: I was just a normal kid, going to school, playing basketball, skateboarding. The usual. Until I accidentally vaporized my maths teacher. Now I spend my time battling monsters and generally trying to stay alive.
Talented Indie children’s author, Darlene Forster, has a wonderful series of middle-age books featuring a young girl, Amanda, who loves travelling to different countries. Everywhere Amanda goes, she falls into an adventure.
You can find all of Darlene’s Amanda books on Amazon US here: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Darlene-Foster/author/B003XGQPHA
Some writers start out as middle-grade writers and their targeted age group increases as their characters age. A famous example of such a writer is JK Rowling. The first two Harry Potter books were middle-grade stories. As her characters grew older, the books became more complicated, darker and much longer.
You can find the complete collection of Harry Potter books here: https://www.amazon.com/Harry-Potter-Complete-Collection-1-7-ebook/dp/B01B3DKROQ
Of course, if anyone reading this post hasn’t read Harry Potter I’ll eat Sir Chocolate – haha!
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/
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Mind Fields: Tibetan Dance Steps
Posted: May 3, 2024 Filed under: Mind Fields, Poetry | Tags: Arthur Rosch, Mind Fields, Poetry, Writing to be Read 1 Comment
Tibetan Dance Steps
After reaching enlightenment,
Milarepa dusted off his chuba and stood up.
His first three steps
burned footprints
into the rocks of his shelter
so that today
pilgrims bow to these relics as holy icons.
The yogi’s steps were fired in the kiln
of his deep understanding. A thousand
years have passed and his footprints remain
sunk into the bare granite.
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Arthur Rosch is a novelist, musician, photographer and poet. His works are funny, memorable and often compelling. One reviewer said “He’s wicked and feisty, but when he gets you by the guts, he never lets go.” Listeners to his music have compared him to Frank Zappa, Tom Waits, Randy Newman or Mose Allison. These comparisons are flattering but deceptive. Rosch is a stylist, a complete original. His material ranges from sly wit to gripping political commentary.
Arthur was born in the heart of Illinois and grew up in the western suburbs of St. Louis. In his teens he discovered his creative potential while hoping to please a girl. Though she left the scene, Arthur’s creativity stayed behind. In his early twenties he moved to San Francisco and took part in the thriving arts scene. His first literary sale was to Playboy Magazine. The piece went on to receive Playboy’s “Best Story of the Year” award. Arthur also has writing credits in Exquisite Corpse, Shutterbug, eDigital, and Cat Fancy Magazine. He has written five novels, a memoir and a large collection of poetry. His autobiographical novel, Confessions Of An Honest Man won the Honorable Mention award from Writer’s Digest in 2016.
More of his work can be found at www.artrosch.com
Photos at https://500px.com/p/artsdigiphoto?view=photos
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Mind Fields: December 7
Posted: April 26, 2024 Filed under: Mind Fields, Poetry | Tags: Arthur Rosch, Mind Fields, Poetry, Writing to be Read 1 Comment
December 7
All experience is in you.
All suffering, all joy, all confusion,
all presence, all absence
is in you.
If I make a mis-step, you catch me.
If I can’t feel you catch me,
I fall and fall, and eventually I will
come to know
that I have fallen into you.
If I rise to a great height
and see my glory,
I will be standing in my own shadow,
for you are behind me.
If I feel alone, and yearn
for something until the pit of my stomach aches
with incompleteness,
you have meant for me to know that.
I am only where I am, watching, waiting
to be born, to live, to die,
to feel you with me, so certain am I
that you are everything.
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Arthur Rosch is a novelist, musician, photographer and poet. His works are funny, memorable and often compelling. One reviewer said “He’s wicked and feisty, but when he gets you by the guts, he never lets go.” Listeners to his music have compared him to Frank Zappa, Tom Waits, Randy Newman or Mose Allison. These comparisons are flattering but deceptive. Rosch is a stylist, a complete original. His material ranges from sly wit to gripping political commentary.
Arthur was born in the heart of Illinois and grew up in the western suburbs of St. Louis. In his teens he discovered his creative potential while hoping to please a girl. Though she left the scene, Arthur’s creativity stayed behind. In his early twenties he moved to San Francisco and took part in the thriving arts scene. His first literary sale was to Playboy Magazine. The piece went on to receive Playboy’s “Best Story of the Year” award. Arthur also has writing credits in Exquisite Corpse, Shutterbug, eDigital, and Cat Fancy Magazine. He has written five novels, a memoir and a large collection of poetry. His autobiographical novel, Confessions Of An Honest Man won the Honorable Mention award from Writer’s Digest in 2016.
More of his work can be found at www.artrosch.com
Photos at https://500px.com/p/artsdigiphoto?view=photos
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In Touch with Nature – Highly endangered African painted wild dogs #Africanwildlife #Africanwilddogs
Posted: April 24, 2024 Filed under: Africa, Animals, In Touch With Nature, Nature, Wildlife | Tags: African Wild Dogs, In Touch With Nature, Nature, Robbie Cheadle, Wildlife, Writing to be Read 76 Comments
The African wild dog, also called the hunting dog or African painted dog, is currently listed as endangered on the IUCN Red List. According to the African Wildlife Foundation, only 6,600 African wild dogs remain in the wild across the entire African continent. The main reason for their endangerment is habitat fragmentation (the most common reason for wildlife endangerment) which causes conflict between these predators and humans. Throughout Africa, wild dogs have been shot and poisoned by farmers for loss of livestock, even though these losses are frequently due to other predators including hyenas and leopards. In addition, African wild dogs also suffer from endemic disease outbreaks.
African wild dogs have a mottled coat comprising of yellow, black and white patches. They have long legs with flat, broad heads, a short black muzzle, and large round ears.
Wild dogs have strong social bonds and live in packs of two to twenty-seven adults and yearling pups.
Wild dogs are excellent hunters. They hunt in packs of six to twenty individuals and catch their prey by chasing them to exhaustion. Wild dogs can run at speeds of up to 66 km/h (41 mph) for between 10 to 60 continuous minutes. They have an 80 percent kill success rate with is higher than bigger predators like lions and leopards.
Observers have noticed that prior to setting out to hunt, the wild dogs’ populations in the Okavango Delta of Botswana rally to determine whether they should depart. Departure is more likely when more individual dogs sneeze, a short sharp exhale through the nostrils. If a dominant dog initiates by sneezing, around three additional sneezes guarantee departure.
Sighting a pack of African wild dogs in the wild has been on my bucket list for a long time. I was lucky enough to see a pack of wild dogs at the Bthongo Rhino & Lion Nature Reserve but they live inside a relatively small enclosure and are fed.
Obviously, seeing wild dogs in captivity is not quite the same as seeing them in a national park or game reserve. I was, therefore, delighted when we saw wild dogs at Madikwe Game Reserve not once, but two days in a row. We were fortunate enough to observe, the hunt (chase), devouring of a kill, and wild dogs relaxing and having fun.
The poem below, Dog Vote, is extracted from my poetry book, Lion Scream.
Dog Vote
They yelp and growl at play
Then sleep in a mass
Of black fur, overlapped with yellow and white
They are invisible
Among the shadows
***
Having strong social bonds
Wild dogs live in packs
Dominated by a single breeding pair
But they all have a say
Conveyed as a vote
***
Before leaving to hunt
The adults rally
Sneezing to express a preference to hunt
The majority rules
All members comply
This is my YT video of African wild dogs playing:
African wild dogs in a gathering:
About Roberta Eaton Cheadle
Award-winning, bestselling author, Roberta Eaton Cheadle, is a South African writer and poet specialising in historical, paranormal, and horror novels and short stories. She is an avid reader in these genres and her writing has been influenced by famous authors including Bram Stoker, Edgar Allan Poe, Amor Towles, Stephen Crane, Enrich Maria Remarque, George Orwell, Stephen King, and Colleen McCullough.
Roberta has two published novels and has horror, paranormal, and fantasy short stories included in several anthologies. She is also a contributor to the Ask the Authors 2022 (WordCrafter Writing Reference series).
Roberta also has thirteen children’s books and two poetry books published under the name of Robbie Cheadle, and has poems and short stories featured in several anthologies under this name.
Roberta’s blog features discussions about classic books, book reviews, poetry, and photography. https://roberta-writes.com/.
Find Roberta Eaton Cheadle
Blog: https://wordpress.com/view/robertawrites235681907.wordpress.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/RobertaEaton17
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/robertawrites
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Roberta-Eaton-Cheadle/e/B08RSNJQZ5
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Writer’s Corner: Visceral Character Portrayal
Posted: April 22, 2024 Filed under: Character Development, Writer's Corner, Writing | Tags: Character Development, Kaye Lynne Booth, Writer's Corner, Writing, Writing to be Read 3 Comments
This post has been a long time in coming. It was promised back when I posted “Writer’s Corner: Creating Characters with Depth” back in September. I finally got back around to tackling this subject, so let’s delve in.
While our characters need to be deep, they also need to be characters which readers can relate to and feel like they know, so that readers will care about what happens in our story enough to keep reading. A good part of this work is done at the beginning of the story, where we first introduce our characters. There are several methods we can use to make our characters feel more real to readers.
Save the Cat
All characters are flawed, just as all people are flawed, but they must also have redeeming qualities if readers are going to care about what happens to them. This method of redeeming our characters comes from Blake Snyder and his screenwriting book of the same name, Save the Cat. The idea is to reveal the good qualities of your protagonist through a good deed, like saving a cat in an opening scene.
Not all protagonists start out a story as the good guy or hero. In fact, in a story which follows the hero’s journey, the protagonist is usually reluctant to take on the role which he or she has been given. Bilbo Baggins comes to mind from J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit, where the character has no desire to leave his cozy hobbit hole and go on the adventure he’s been called on to take.
In Sarah, which will be released next month, I have a scene where we see Sarah, who goes by Hair of Fire in her Ute family, sits at the bedside of a sick child, administering healing medicines and showing concern for the child. Sarah is a nice character and this small act is enough to show reveal her caring qualities. Her hero’s journey begins when she is snatched away from her tribe and has no choice but to embark upon her journey.
Often our characters are not nice people to start out with, and developing redeeming qualities may be a part of their character arc, so the changes won’t be seen until fiurther along in the story. But they must have some redeeming qualities or the readers may not like them enough to route for them.
The worse a character is, the bigger the redeeming deed must be. So if you have a character like Dexter, a serial killer who kills serial killers you must try harder to show the softer, caring side, by showing how he supports his sister and can really be a nice guy. I would think it could be really rough getting readers, or viewers, to relate to someone who goes out and brutally kills people, even if they might deserve it. Dexter’s save the cat event comes when he saves the next victim of the serial killers who become his victims, a tricky ploy to pull off for the writers. Redeeming a character like Dexter could be quite a challenge.
Heart’s Desire
I was listening to Wulf Moon on the Stark Reflections podcast, episode 341. Wulf is a writer who found success at a young age and winner of the Writers of the Future contest, who turned his own success into a way to help his fellow writers to learn about the essentials of writing a good story. He claims readers must see & feel what is important to the character, what drives them to action and propels the story forward in order to care about the character and carry them through the story or series. Wulf calls this the “Heart’s Desire” and he claims that he’s found that one of the mistakes beginning writers make often is to not tap into the heart’s desire and let your readers see this aspect of your character.
I discussed this a bit in that previous blog blog post, (linked above), on giving your characters depth using the character triangle to identifying the character’s flaws, their need, and their “want”, but “Heart’s Desire” is stronger and more applicable term for the motivating factor for your character. No matter what you call it, by revealing what matters to your character, and what makes them take action, and their flaws, readers get a glimpse into what makes your character human.
Subtext and Inner Dialog
In The Rock Star & The Outlaw, Amaryllis is an adrenaline junkie who thrives on taking risks with her life through drugs, alcohol, and dangerous behaviors. Not a very savory character to start with at the beginning of the story, she winds up killing her boyfriend in self-defense and running from his cronnies and the law. In order to make readers care about her, I had to reveal things about her past, and show her vulnerablities through her relationship with Monique, her interactions with LeRoy, and her determination to stay by his side when she could have run and saved herself. To be sure my readers didn’t overlook the hints as to her motivations, I revealed them through inner dialog and subtext, putting her thoughts out there so there would be no misunderstandings about her motivations.
Subtext is found in body language and tone of voice. It is the feelings which lie just below the surface and may indicate things are quite different from what they appear. You can check out my archive post from 2017, “Dialog: Talking in Subtext” to get a deeper discussion on how to use subtext to make your characters feel more real.
Inner dialog can be used anywhere it is needed to clarify character motivations and help readers see where the character is coming from or understand the direction in which they are going, helping readers to relate to them. When Dexter’s inner thoughts are revealed, and they use this a lot in that series, viewers come away feeling that his actions are, if not justified, then at least understandable, making Dexter seem like maybe not such a bad guy, if misguided by his background. If readers, or viewers, can see the character’s point of view, they understand the character better, even if they don’t agree with it.
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For Kaye Lynne Booth, writing is a passion. Kaye Lynne is an author with published short fiction and poetry, both online and in print, including her short story collection, Last Call and Other Short Fiction; and her paranormal mystery novella, Hidden Secrets; 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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A Look at Poetry Reviews of the Past Year: In the Shadow of Rainbows
Posted: April 20, 2024 Filed under: Book Review, Books, Collection, Poetry, Review | Tags: Book Review, In The Shadow of Rainbows, Poetry, Poetry Collection, Selma Martin, Writing to be Read Leave a commentIt celebration of National Poetry Month, I’m reblogging my poetry reviews from the past year on Saturdays throughout April in case you missed any of these noteworthy poetry collections.
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Book Review: River Bones
Posted: April 19, 2024 Filed under: Book Review, Books, Crime, Fiction, Mystery, Review, Suspense | Tags: Book Review, Crime Fiction, Mary Deal, mystery, River Bones, Suspense, Writing to be Read 10 Comments
About the Book
A serial killer is on the loose in Sacramento River Delta.
When Sara Mason returns to her hometown to start a new life, she learns that a murderer is terrorizing its residents. Despite battling difficult childhood memories, Sara is determined to make peace with her past.
But she soon learns that the elusive psychopath is now stalking her. Sara’s attempt to rebuild her life is hindered even more by the discovery of skeletal remains on her property. As the investigation focuses on several suspects, Sara discovers critical clues and bravely volunteers to be a decoy for the sheriff’s department.
Sara’s destiny has brought her back home, but will her decision lead her down a path lined with danger… and straight into the arms of a madman?
Purchase Link: https://www.amazon.com/River-Bones-Sara-Mason-Mysteries-ebook/dp/B076JDZJ8M/
My Review
The title and cover both drew me to this book, and I wasn’t disappointed. River Bones, by Mary Deal is a classic suspense thriller. This book carries a somber tone in setting and eerie feeling of mystery.
How many bones are hidden in the river’s depths? They are the bones of those who have been lost… and sometimes, they are found.
After many years away, the sale of the gaming software she developed sells and Sara returns to her hometown a wealthy woman. But there is a serial killer on the loose, which is unsetling to Sara but even moreso when dead bodies begin to turn up all around her. The human remains found on her property delays her restoration plans with police investigations, and it soon becomes clear that the killer is targeting Sara as his next victim.
Skillfully crafted and completely enthralling. I give River Bones five quills.
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Kaye Lynne Booth does honest book reviews on Writing to be Read in exchange for ARCs. Have a book you’d like reviewed? You can request a review on the Book Review tab above.
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Treasuring Poetry – Meet prolific poet, Ivor Steven, and a review #poetry #poetrycommunity #TreasuringPoetry
Posted: April 17, 2024 Filed under: Book Review, Books, Collection, Interview, Poetry, Review, Treasuring Poetry | Tags: Book Reveiw, Ivor Steven, Poetry, Robbie Cheadle, Treasuring Poetry, Until Eyes Hear Sound, Writing to be Read 53 Comments
My April Treasuring Poetry guest is talented and prolific poet, Ivor Steven. Please enjoy his thoughts about poetry and some of his favourite poems.
What is your favourite style of poetry to read?
Oh, there are so many styles of poetry that I like. In my personal library I have poetry books by Leonard Cohen, William B Yeats, Walt Whitman, Emily Dickinson, John Keats, Henry Lawson, Banjo Paterson, and Rupi Kaur, and of course numerous other local poets. My selections are of a range of styles and very eclectic, however, my favourite poetry style is rhythmical freestyle poems.
What is your favourite poem in your favourite style to read?
Since I was a teenager, I have been an avid follower of Leonard Cohen’s writings, and he has had a huge influence on the way I draft my poems. One of my favourite poems of his is “Avalanche”.
“Avalanche“
Well, I stepped into an avalanche,
it covered up my soul;
when I am not this hunchback that you see,
I sleep beneath the golden hill.
You who wish to conquer pain,
you must learn, learn to serve me well.
You strike my side by accident
as you go down for your gold.
The cripple here that you clothe, and feed
is neither starved nor cold;
he does not ask for your company,
not at the centre, the centre of the world.
When I am on a pedestal,
you did not raise me there.
Your laws do not compel me
to kneel grotesque and bare.
I myself am the pedestal
for this ugly hump at which you stare.
You who wish to conquer pain,
you must learn what makes me kind;
the crumbs of love that you offer me,
they’re the crumbs I’ve left behind.
Your pain is no credential here,
it’s just the shadow, shadow of my wound.
I have begun to long for you,
I who have no greed;
I have begun to ask for you,
I who have no need.
You say you’ve gone away from me,
but I can feel you when you breathe.
Do not dress in those rags for me,
I know you are not poor;
you don’t love me quite so fiercely now
when you know that you are not sure,
it is your turn, beloved,
it is your flesh that I wear.
What is your favourite style of poetry to write? Why?
I must say I like writing Haiku, Tanka, musettes, and other forms of short poems. However, I only started writing poetry after I had suffered a semiserious stroke in 2000. During my rehab, the speech therapist encouraged me to write rhyming words to help regain my cognitive abilities. I developed a knack for rhyming words and from there my writing knowledge gradually expanded. With my restricted thought process, the rhythmical Freestyle Poems were an uncomplicated style for me to follow and I kept improving on my newfound journey into the world of poetry.
What is your favourite of your own poems in your favourite style?
Oh gosh, I have written nearly two thousand poems over the past twenty years, my favourite one is from my first book “Tullawalla”, I wrote the poem in Philadelphia while visiting my cousins in 2019. The trip to America was only two months after my 2nd and 3rd strokes, and the journey was truly a “dream come true”.
Dreams of The Heart
I cannot walk the continents
Like the intrepid Marco Polo
But my feet have felt the sands of time
Pass between my toes
I have not sailed the high seas
Like the courageous Christopher Columbus
But my body has bathed
In an ocean full of kind hearts I am yet to fly in space
Like the brave Neil Armstrong
But I have reached for the stars
And touched my soul’s dreams
How do you promote your poetry and poetry books?
I promote my poetry and books via my WordPress website, and social media sites: Instagram. Facebook. Thread, and a new website Medium. Also, I am an appointed writer for the online Coffee House Writers magazine (America), and they allow me to promote my Books on their members chat-site. I am a member the Geelong Writers Inc, who have Monthly social gatherings where I can sell my books. I frequent several local cafes, at which I am allowed to display and sell my books. I regularly attend local Arts Markets and I have had Book Stalls at nearby book festivals, the most recent being the prestigious Clunes Booktown Festival.
>> Clunes Booktown Festival – For the love of story
You can find out more about Ivor Steven on his blog here: https://ivorplumberpoet.press/about/
My review of Until Eyes Hear Sound
Available from Lulu.com here: https://www.lulu.com/search?contributor=Ivor+Steven&adult_audience_rating=00
and Jaymah Press here: https://www.jaymahpress.com.au/product-page/until-eyes-hear-sound
Until Eyes Hear Sound is a wonderful collection full of impactful poems about numerous important issues humanity faces as a collective, as well as the beauty of our natural world.
The book is divided up into ten chapters as follows: Little Creatures and Birds; Planet Earth, Nature and Existence; The New World? The Same Universe; Observations – “Until Eyes Hear Sound”; War! Without Peace?; Memories and Rhymes; Poetry in Slow Motion; Humour, Fantasy, Faeries, and Weird; and Short Poems, Haiku, Senryu, Tanka, and Others. Each section shares a smaller collection of poems that highlight the best and worst of that category. The poems are written in a mixture of freestyle and rhyming verse and are easy to read and vivid in their description.
The following are a few lines from some of the poems I related to the most in the collection:
“Raw rain is tumbling across town
Mother Nature’s roaring sound
Amplifies her tears slapping the ground
As her dark clouds wrinkle into a frown”
from She Knows
“Behind every mask there is a weathered face
Behind every face old lines survive in place
Behind every place memories live with grace”
from My World, My Thoughts
“arriving
via the cemetery gate
holding her flowers
hands quivering
heart quickens …
“leaving
via the cemetery path
renewing goodbyes
crying silently
breathing slowly”
from Arriving and Leaving, Visiting Her. This was my favourite poem in the collection.
A beautiful collection.
About Robbie Cheadle
Award-winning, bestselling author, Robbie Cheadle, has published fourteen children’s books and three poetry books. Her work also features in several 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 Cheadle have recently launched a new series of children’s books called Southern African Safari Adventures. The first book, Neema the Misfit Giraffe is now available from Amazon.
Robbie’s blog includes recipes, fondant and cake artwork, poetry, and book reviews. https://robbiesinspiration.wordpress.com/
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