In Touch With Nature – Meet Pumbaa the Warthog and a treat #southernafricanwildlife #intouchwithnature
Posted: October 22, 2025 Filed under: Africa, Animals, In Touch With Nature, Nature, Nature writing, Poetry, Wildlife | Tags: In Touch With Nature, Photography, Poetry, Robbie Cheadle, South Africa, Warthogs, White Giraffe, Wildlife, Writing to be Read 40 Comments
Disney was as kind to warthog’s as it was unkind to hyenas in its movie, The Lion King. Pumbaa the Warthog is a well-known Southern African cartoon figure among many people, young and old. This is intriguing to me as warthogs, together with poor unloved hyenas, are both part of the Southern African ‘Ugly Five’ group of animals.
I always laugh when I see warthogs running about in the veld. I immediately think of ‘pigs in blankets’ and they are definitely ‘bush snacks’ for many carnivores. So, let’s learn a bit more about these funny looking creatures.
Warthogs are day animals and spend most of their time foraging for food. Socially, they are found in three groups: solitary boars, bachelor groups, and matriarchal groups which consist of adult sows with their young and yearlings. Outside of mating, the boars seldom associate with the sows and play no role in rearing the piglets. Did I mention that warthogs are a member of the pig family? Warthogs are the only pigs that have adapted to living and grazing in savannah like habitats.
A few interesting features of warthogs are that they kneel on their front knees while feeding and foraging and they shelter in (frequently borrowed) burrows at night which they enter tails first. Although they like more dry surroundings, warthogs enjoy wallowing in muddy water every day. This wallowing process is how they stay cool on hot days in the same manner as elephants and buffalo.
Warthogs tend to breed and give birth at the beginning of the rainy season in regions where the seasons are defined. In other environments, warthogs can breed all year around. Warthogs generally have two to three piglets in a litter.
Although I said these creatures are bush snacks for lions, leopards, cheetahs, hyenas and painted dogs, they have longer legs than most pigs and can run very quickly. They are difficult to catch and also difficult to photograph.
Interesting warthog facts
- Warthogs have two pairs of tusks
- Warthogs trot with their tails in the air
- Warthogs can run up to 55 kilometres per hour (35 miles per hour)
- Warthogs fight in a ritualistic way and use their heads and tusks to try to push their opponent over.
- Warthogs have warts on their faces which act as a cushion for blows from their adversaries. Large warts also help protect their eyes during fights.
- A group of female warthogs with young is called a sounder
- Mama warthogs like orderly behaviour and the piglets always run in a fixed order in a line and not in a disorderly group.
- Warthogs are attentive mothers; they leave the sounder when about to give birth and find their own burrow or hole. Mama remains in this hole with her young for the first six to seven weeks after birth, only leaving for short periods to graze.
- Warthogs are hunted for their tusks which are carved for the tourist trade in eastern and southern Africa (don’t buy these!)
- Warthogs communicate using a variety of different noises including loud grunts, growling and squeals. Clacking noises are used by males to entice females.
My Youtube video of a sounder having breakfast:
Poem about warthogs
This poem is extracted from my favourite of my own books, Lion Scream.
Home Thief
I am not beautiful
My head is too big
My face is covered in wartlike protrusions
To protect it during fights
I have four large tusks
***
I prefer to trespass
On ready-built homes
It’s easier if aardvark does the digging
Creating a safe hole
And I just move in
***
My babies enter first
I have up to four
Backing in leaves me prepared to protect them
From many predators
Who view us as snacks
Lion Scream is available from Amazon here: https://www.amazon.com/Lion-Scream-Syllabic-Southern-Wildlife-ebook/dp/B0BXP5N766
White headed giraffe – a special sighting
During a trip to Babanango Private Game Reserve we had the good fortune to come across this giraffe with large white patches on its face. Very unusual. The guide was very patient and waited for me to get my shots.
About Roberta Eaton Cheadle
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 a collection of short stories 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 is also the author and illustrator of seventeen children’s books, illustrator to a further three children’s books, and the author and illustrator of four 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
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/robbiecheadle.bsky.social
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/robertawrites
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Roberta-Eaton-Cheadle/e/B08RSNJQZ5
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Like this post? Are you a fan of this blog series? 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 segment of “In Touch with Nature” is sponsored by the Midnight Anthology Series and WordCrafter Press.
Midnight Roost: Weird and Creepy Stories: 20 authors bring your nightmares to life in 23 stories of ghosts, paranormal phenomenon and the horror from the dark crevasses of their minds. Stories of stalkers, both human and supernatural, possession and occult rituals, alien visitations of the strange kind, and ghostly tales that will give you goosebumps. These are the tales that will make you fear the dark. Read them at the Midnight Roost… if you dare. https://www.amazon.com/Midnight-Roost-Kaye-Lynne-Booth-ebook/dp/B0CL6FPLVJ
Midnight Garden: Where Dark Tales Grow: 17 authors bring you 21 magnificent dark tales. Stories of magic, monsters and mayhem. Tales of murder and madness which will make your skin crawl. These are the tales that explore your darkest fears. Read them in the Midnight Garden… if you dare. https://www.amazon.com/Midnight-Garden-Where-Tales-Anthology-ebook/dp/B0DJNDQJD3
Midnight Oil: Stories to Fuel Your Nightmares: 14 authors bring you 16 dark tales that explore your deepest fears. These are the stories which nightmares are made of. Tales of monsters, mayhem, and madness which will make you shiver in the dark. Read them while you burn the Midnight Oil… if you dare. https://books2read.com/Midnight-Oil
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Everyone is a Critic: “Cell” & “1408”
Posted: October 20, 2025 Filed under: Everyone is a Critic, Horror, Movies, Review | Tags: 1408, Cell, Everyone is a Critic, horror, Writing to be Read Leave a commentFor October, I thought I would review two scary movies, both based on Stephen King novels: Cell & 1408. Interestingly enough, both have the same leading actors as well: John Cusack and Samuel L. Jackson. But no matter these similarities, they are two very different horror movies. While Cell is King’s very different take on a zombie story, 1408 is more of a paranormal horror story. Both are deserving of a review just in time for Halloween.
Cell
When cell phone frequencies suddenly trigger violent behaviors in their owners, it seems the world has gone mad. While artist Clay Riddell, played by John Cusack, is unaffected because his cell phone battery died at the strategic moment when the electronic pulse was broadcast, along with a few others, those who are affected turn viciously violent against anyone in their vicinity. They aren’t zombies, they are still alive, but they do seem to be mindless, reacting with violence and brutality in response to the signal being broadcast everywhere.
Together with survivors, Tom McCourt, played by Samuel L. Jackson, and Alice Maxwell, a teen who had to kill her affected mother in self-defense, Clay makes his way to his home to determine the fate of his wife and son. It is kill or be killed, as there is no reasoning with those who are affected. When he finds an empty house and a message from his son, he is compelled to carry on alone to find his boy and discover what is really going on.
I read the novel by Stephen King when it first came out, back in 2006, and the movie stuck fairly close to the book, which is one thing I always like about movies based on King novels. I imagine it is because King is one of the few authors with a big enough name to secure some say so in the production of the movie, because I see his influence. Anyway, all that to say, if you liked the book, you will no doubt like the movie. I did on both counts.
1408
This is a horror movie that hits you on a psychological level and leaves you thinking about it long after it ends. This one also sticks fairly close to the original short story of the same title, which appeared in Everything’s Eventual (2002). Also note that the version I saw had the original ending, since they made three different endings for this movie. After reading the descriptions of all three, I’m glad I viewed the original, as it sounds to be the best fit for the story to me, and also the most positive.
John Cusack plays writer Mike Enslin, who is making his living through a series of books about reportedly haunted places, but as a paranormal skeptic, his goal is to refute the reported hauntings. Following an anonymous tip on a postcard from The Dolphin Hotel, which he receives as a challenge when warned off of Room 1408, he goes there and requests that very room. Although the hotel manager, Mr. Olin, played by Samuel L. Jackson, does everything he can to discourage, warning of the room’s history, which is enough to turn away even the most determined of ghost hunters, Mike insists, forces Olin to rent him the room.
Mr. Olin had warned that most occupants don’t even make through the first hour in room 1408, and as Mike Enslin begins to describe the unimpressive room into his recorder, he finds himself haunted by the room’s former occupants, most of whom are now deceased, which raise ear and disgust, and by his own memories, which send him through a gamut of old emotions which still feel raw and exposed, throwing so much at him that he is no longer sure of what is real and what is not, and neither are the viewers.
After an illusion that he has escaped is proved to not be real, it becomes obvious that there is no escape from the evil room 1408 except suicide. Short of that, he is destined to relive the horrors of the last hour over and over for eternity. If you want to know what he chooses, you’ll have to watch the movie or read the story. No spoilers here.
About Kaye Lynne Booth
For Kaye Lynne Booth, writing is a passion. Kaye Lynne is an author with published short fiction and poetry, both online and in print, including her short story collection, Last Call and Other Short Fiction; and her paranormal mystery novella, Hidden Secrets; Books 1 & 2 of her Women in the West adventure series, Delilah and Sarah, and book 1 in her Time-Travel Adventure series, The Rock Star & The Outlaw, as well as her poetry collection, Small Wonders and The D.I.Y. Author writing resource.
Kaye holds a dual M.F.A. degree in Creative Writing with emphasis in genre fiction and screenwriting, and an M.A. in publishing. Kaye Lynne is the founder of WordCrafter Quality Writing & Author Services and WordCrafter Press, where she edits and publishes two short fiction anthologies and one poetry anthology every year amidst her many writing projects. She also maintains an authors’ blog and website, Writing to be Read, where she publishes content of interest in the literary world.
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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 segment of “Everyone is a Critic” is sponsored by the Midnight Dark Fiction Anthology Series and WordCrafter Press.
Midnight Roost: Weird and Creepy Tales: https://books2read.com/MidnightRoost
Midnight Garden: Where Dark Tales Grow: https://books2read.com/MidnightGardenAnthology
Midnight Oil: Stories to Fuel Your Nightmares: (Pre-Order): https://books2read.com/Midnight-Oil
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Everyone is Critic: “The Faculty”
Posted: October 13, 2025 Filed under: Commentary, Horror, Movie Review, Movies, Review | Tags: Everyone is a Critic, horror, Movie Review, The Faculty, Writing to be Read 2 Comments
The Faculty is a 1998 science fiction/horror movie which I somehow missed until now. Reminiscent of horror classic, Invasion of the Body Snatchers, the faculty and most of the student body at Herrington High School are being taken over by aliens, and it’s nearly impossible to tell who is still human. One group of industrious, survival-minded students has figured out what is happening, how to detect the aliens, and how to destroy them. Now they just have to find the head alien and destroy it before the whole school, and then the town, is taken over.
Although, not an original plot, it is fashioned after a classic. At least the aliens didn’t scream at each other whenever a human was detected. When the queen alien is revealed, I have to say I saw it coming, but they placed enough red herrings, so that I couldn’t be one hundred percent certain until the truth is unveiled.
The special effects seem a bit primitive in this dawning age of technology, but for 1998, they’ve got a pretty cool queen alien monster. While some things, such as the method of beating the aliens, seemed a bit too convenient, horror movies, in general, are pretty formulaic, so perhaps that’s to be expected. At any rate, it held my attention, and I had to see how things turned out, which is basically the point, right?
The Faculty is everything a horror movie should be, using the aliens to keep our heroes boxed in, misdirection to keep viewers guessing, and plenty of tension to keep our attention. What more could you want from a horror movie?
About Kaye Lynne Booth
For Kaye Lynne Booth, writing is a passion. Kaye Lynne is an author with published short fiction and poetry, both online and in print, including her short story collection, Last Call and Other Short Fiction; and her paranormal mystery novella, Hidden Secrets; Books 1 & 2 of her Women in the West adventure series, Delilah and Sarah, and book 1 in her Time-Travel Adventure series, The Rock Star & The Outlaw, as well as her poetry collection, Small Wonders and The D.I.Y. Author writing resource.
Kaye holds a dual M.F.A. degree in Creative Writing with emphasis in genre fiction and screenwriting, and an M.A. in publishing. Kaye Lynne is the founder of WordCrafter Quality Writing & Author Services and WordCrafter Press, where she edits and publishes two short fiction anthologies and one poetry anthology every year amidst her many writing projects. She also maintains an authors’ blog and website, Writing to be Read, where she publishes content of interest in the literary world.
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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.
________________________________________
This segment of “Everyone is a Critic” is sponsored by the Time Travel Adventure Series and WordCrafter Press.
When a Girl with a Guitar Meets a Man with a Gun, It’s Time to Travel
The Rock Star & The Outlaw: https://www.amazon.com/Rock-Star-Outlaw-Time-Travel-Adventure-ebook/dp/B0CJBRRCN1/
The Rock Star & The Outlaw 2: Seeing Doubles: Coming in 2026
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Book Review: “Stalks” & “Don’t Let Her Go”
Posted: October 10, 2025 Filed under: Book Review, Books, Crime, Fiction, Mystery, Review, Thriller | Tags: Book Review, Don't Let Her Go, Jenna Moquin, Stalks, Willow Rose, Writing to be Read Leave a comment
About Stalks
WHEN LIZ SAID YES TO JARED, SHE’D NEVER DREAMED WHAT WOULD HAPPEN NEXT…
Liz Martel receives a romantic proposal from her affluent boyfriend, Jared Galbraith, during a picnic in rural Maine. However, their idyllic day takes a dark turn, and they find themselves lost in the woods.
Liz and Jared are rescued by two seemingly kind strangers who bring them back to their farmhouse. Unfortunately, these strangers have plans of their own for the newly engaged couple.
As Liz struggles to escape a living nightmare, she stumbles upon a chilling family secret spanning decades. A secret that some people will kill to keep quiet.
WILL LIZ SURVIVE THIS NIGHTMARE, OR WILL SHE BE LOST IN THE WOODS FOREVER?
Purchase Link: https://www.amazon.com/Stalks-gripping-psychological-Jenna-Moquin-ebook/dp/B0CSF4QWZL
My Review of Stalks
I purchased a digital copy of Stalks, by Jenna Moquin through a KindofBook deal. All opinions stated here are my own.
Stalks, by Jenna Moquin is a very unusual dark fiction thriller. The title made me think of ‘stalkers’ and seemed appropriate for a thriller, and I won’t tell the true meaning and spoil the surprise, but I would have never guessed. The unusual characters make this book one to please mystery and thriller lovers alike, especially if you like your dark fiction a little on the odd side.
At first, I believed this was going to be your run of the mill thriller as our happy couple gets lost in the spooky woods and believes they are being stalked by someone or something. When their car is stolen and they are rescued by a pair of odd ducks, I thought I knew where things were headed. But that’s where the story started to take some unusual twists, and like any good thriller, it kept me on the edge of my seat wondering how either of them will come out alive. There are no spoilers here. If you want to know more, you’ll have to read it yourself, but I’d give it a go if you’re into the odd and quirky.
A journey into the unusual that is full of surprises. I give Stalks four quills.
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About Don’t Let Her Go
A missing five-year-old girl is the key to unlocking a detective’s terrifying past…
When Detective Billie Ann Wilde receives a desperate call that five-year-old Emma Wilson is missing, she rushes to the family home. But inside the picture-perfect house surrounded by Florida marshlands, she finds no children’s clothes or toys, no photos of the innocent child Emma’s mother Marissa describes. Billie suspects Marissa Wilson is hiding from someone.
It’s a race against the clock to find Emma. But Marissa refuses to tell Billie anything about her past, and before long, she also disappears…
And then Billie realizes who Marissa is.
She’s the ten-year-old girl Billie failed to find in her first ever case fourteen years ago. The leads went cold because Billie made a fatal mistake.
As more bodies turn up in the same marshlands, Billie must revisit her past and face up to her demons to find Marissa and her child. But she is unknowingly putting herself in the path of a terrifying serial killer…
An explosive new crime series from multi-million-copy bestseller Willow Rose. Fans of Lisa Regan, Robert Dugoni and Kendra Elliot will be on the edge of their seats, unable to put this book down!
Purchase Link: https://www.amazon.com/Dont-Let-Her-unputdownable-heart-pounding-ebook/dp/B0CNTVS39W
My Review of Don’t Let Her Go
I purchased Don’t Let Her Go, by Willow Rose through a Friday BookBub Deal. All opinions stated here are my own.
Don’t Let Her Go is a mystery crime thriller about a missing child who may not actually exist, and it’s up to Detective Billie Ann Wilde to find her and discover why there is no record of this child. With a young mother who seemed to want help finding her daughter at first, but then disappears without a trace, the task won’t be easy. She pushes hard to track down the suspected abductor, but she may be shocked by where the trail leads her.
Skillfully crafted to keep readers guessing. Like a puzzle, the real story builds up one piece at a time and one cannot see the whole picture until the last piece is in place, or in this case, until the last page is turned. Willow Rose doesn’t ever give too much away, but just enough to add to the mystery and keep the pages turning.
A true mystery with many twists and turns and a surprise ending. I give Don’t Let Her Go five quills.
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About Kaye Lynne Booth
For Kaye Lynne Booth, writing is a passion. Kaye Lynne is an author with published short fiction and poetry, both online and in print, including her short story collection, Last Call and Other Short Fiction; and her paranormal mystery novella, Hidden Secrets; Books 1 & 2 of her Women in the West adventure series, Delilah and Sarah, and book 1 in her Time-Travel Adventure series, The Rock Star & The Outlaw, as well as her poetry collection, Small Wonders and The D.I.Y. Author writing resource.
Kaye holds a dual M.F.A. degree in Creative Writing with emphasis in genre fiction and screenwriting, and an M.A. in publishing. Kaye Lynne is the founder of WordCrafter Quality Writing & Author Services and WordCrafter Press, where she edits and publishes two short fiction anthologies and one poetry anthology every year amidst her many writing projects. She also maintains an authors’ blog and website, Writing to be Read, where she publishes content of interest in the literary world.
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Kaye Lynne Booth does honest book reviews on Writing to be Read in exchange for ARCs. Have a book you’d like reviewed? You can request a review on the Book Review tab above.
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Read and Cook – Hotel Pastis: A Novel of Provence by Peter Mayle, and my new cake art and baking books series #ReadandCook #bookreview #cakeart
Posted: October 8, 2025 Filed under: Adventure, Book Review, Books, cooking, Creativity, Fiction, Nonfiction, Read and Cook, Recipes, Review, romance, Suspense | Tags: Baking, Cake Art, Fondant Art, Hotel Pastis, Peter Mayle, Read and Cook, Robbie Cheadle, Something Fancy, Writing to be Read 34 Comments
Hotel Pastis: A Novel of Provence by Peter Mayle
What Amazon says
A beguiling novel of romance, adventure, and tongue-in-cheek suspense set in the South of France, from the beloved, best-selling author of A Year in Provence.
Simon Shaw, a rumpled, fortyish English advertising executive, has decided to leave it all behind, and heads of to France to transform an abandoned police station in the Lubéron into a small but world-class hotel. On his side, Simon has a loyal majordomo and a French business partner who is as practical as she is ravishing. But he hasn’t counted on the malignant local journalist—or on the mauvaise types who have chosen the neighboring village as the site of their latest bank robbery. Slyly funny and overflowing with sensuous descriptions of the good life, Hotel Pastis is the literacy equivalent of a four-star restaurant.
My review
I read a few of Peter Mayle’s autobiographical books about life in Provence when I was in my twenties. I came across this novel a short while ago and was eager to revisit Provence, this time through Peter Mayle’s fiction. I was not disappointed. After a bit of a slow start, Peter Mayle’s typically humorous style of writing and his deep dive into the food and culture of Provence were very evident in this entertaining novel. What was new was his descriptions of life in the advertising industry in London.
I’m making an educated guess that this novel is set in the 70s in London as that is when the author worked in London as an advertising executive. The characters all smoke heavily which was quite interesting for me given that I’ve always worked in a no smoking inside buildings culture. I found the author’s descriptions of his work colleagues, spoiled wife and her equally over privileged friends, and super wealthy clients very entertaining. Of course, these scenes are depicted through a humorous lens, so the negative attributes of these people are all exaggerated but as someone who has always worked in corporate, it had the ring of truth. I could also relate to Simon’s exhaustion with this fast and fake lifestyle. It can be hard to feel sympathy for people caught up in this sort of all work with short intermissions of excessive play lifestyles because of all the money they have, but it is not a nice way to live your life. Having to work all the time and appease others and wine and dine them isn’t as glamorous as it appears on the outside. This is evident from the general wreckage you see in such people’s personal lives including broken marriages, alcoholism, and drug addiction. I really hoped that Simon would find a better way of living that brought him more personal happiness.
There is a romance between Simon and a fascinating woman from Provence, a butler who is very competent and savvy and equally weary of Simon’s (and thus his own) life in the London fast lane, as well as a ring of local petty criminals who are planning the heist of their lives.
This book is not a classic and does not contain intense and serious messages about life, relationships, and saving the world. This is a slice of escapism and is light and enjoyable like pavlova. If this is the sort of book you are looking for, then you will enjoy Hotel Pastis.
Purchase Hotel Pastis: A Novel of Provence from Amazon US here: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0679751114
Cake art and other confectionary related delights
I have wanted to publish a book containing my favourite baking recipes and cake and other confectionary art for some years. I have finally gotten around to it and the first book in my new series, Something Fancy: A Winter Wonderland Celebration book 1 is now available for pre-order on Amazon here: https://www.amazon.com/Something-Wonderland-Celebration-Celebrating-Confectionary-ebook/dp/B0FTX21BXL
This book isn’t just about cake art and baking, it also includes some history about the origin of Christmas cakes in a number of different countries and the origin of gingerbread and gingerbread houses in Europe and other places. It also includes several of my baking related poems and poets written specifically for various cake creations.
Blurb
Robbie’s cake and fondant creations are full of imagination and enchantment as demonstrated by her gingerbread bakery, populated by three mince pie figurines, and her Ice cream Rainbow Fairies Christmas Cake, decorated with seven fondant fairy figurines for each colour of the rainbow.
This book is intended as a celebration of Christmas in poetry, cake art, and gingerbread constructions and includes several of Robbie’s delicious Christmas recipes as well as design ideas for Christmas themed confectionaries. Bite sized smatterings of historical information relating to various culinary delights are also included.
Robbie Cheadle is a poet, writer, and artist. Over the past twenty years, she has created art cakes, gingerbread constructions, and fondant figurines for a variety of purposes including as illustrations for the Sir Chocolate children’s book series she wrote with her son, Michael Cheadle.
These are examples of the type of cake art featured in this book:
The gallery sets out my Ice cream rainbow fairy tiered Christmas cake with two close up pictures of the details on this cake.
Gingerbread houses, from small and easy …
to large and complex …
Advice and assembly instructions are included in the book.
About Robbie Cheadle
Robbie also has two novels and a collection of short stories published under the name of Roberta Eaton Cheadle and has horror, paranormal, and fantasy short stories featured in several anthologies under this name.
You can find Robbie Cheadle’s artwork, fondant and cake artwork, and all her books on her website here: https://www.robbiecheadle.co.za/
Find Robbie Cheadle
Blog https://wordpress.com/home/robbiesinspiration.wordpress.com
Bluesky https://bsky.app/profile/robbiecheadle.bsky.social
YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVyFo_OJLPqFa9ZhHnCfHUA
Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15584446.Robbie_Cheadle
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Like this post? Are you a fan of this blog series? 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.
__________________________________________
This segment of “Read and Cook with Robbie Cheadle” is sponsored by the Midnight Anthology Series and WordCrafter Press.
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Writer’s Corner: The Evolution of a Story
Posted: October 6, 2025 Filed under: Anthology, Fiction, Short Fiction, Stories, Writer's Corner, Writing | Tags: "Sangoma Zombie Elephants & Tokoloshe Oh My!", Kaye Lynne Booth, Midnight Oil, Story Development, Titles, Writer's Corner, Writing, Writing to be Read 12 Comments
It started with a simple idea, sparked by one of Robbie’s “In Touch with Nature” segments on the South African elephants and their plight due to illegal poaching. Who wouldn’t love to give the elephant a chance to get even? To rise up and slay the cruel poachers? That would require something like a zombie elephant. An elephant that was a zombie, now that would be a formidable foe.
So, taking the idea of a vengeful zombie elephant, I began to research. The story would need to take place in South Africa, where one can find both elephants and poachers. First, I looked at the beliefs held there about how a zombie could be created. Robbie suggested I go with the beliefs of the Zulu people, and steered me toward the legend of the tokoloshe, which are turned into zombie creatures, controlled by the sangoma or shaman who created them.
Tokoloshe are squat, troll-like creatures which are said to be found near bridges. The have small hands, large, hairy feet and long penises, which are often slung over their shoulders. They have small squinty eyes, protruding brows and long, stringy hair. (Now, I know you’re probably asking, what about the females? How do they procreate? But as far as I can tell, all tokoloshe have long penises, so they must all be male. As to the procreating thing, I don’t have a clue. Information on Zulu culture and traditions is not abundant, here in the U.S., and I am thankful for the information sent to me by Robbie about these creatures of legend.)
An idea began to form as to how I could incorporate this Zulu legend into my story, and I began to outline my tale, with a working title of “Zombie Elephant”. This required even more research, and I learned that there are two types of shamans in the Zulu culture, the sangoma, who is in touch with the Zulu ancestors and more likely to be found using dark magic, and the inyanga, which is more of an herbalist or healer, and that they are chosen by the ancestors, and go through rigorous training to fulfill these roles.
My idea involved two Zulu boys, Nelwazi and Nhlanhla, who acquire some of the zombie powder, made from crushed tokoloshe bones, from a powerful sangoma and create a zombie elephant by accident. The sangoma sends the tokoloshe after the two boys. From that, I was able to complete an outline and start writing.
I wrote this story while my computer was down, so it was written in longhand and then digitized after I got my new laptop. Both of my stories for the Curses anthology were written like this, and they changed a lot when I typed them out on the keyboard. Oddly enough, this story changed very little when transferred into digital form. What was amazing about this story was that I had so much fun writing it through all the stages. I even had to chuckle during the final reading on the last edit. I just couldn’t help it.
You see, somehow, the tokoloshe and their long penises stole the show. I found that these little guys were always up to mischief, and they made appearances when I least expected. And who knew the boys would come across an unenchanted tokoloshe, not under a sangoma’s control? But there he was, becoming a character in his own right. The zombie elephant was still there with her own part in the story, but I had imagined a story with her as the star, or at least playing a major part. Actually, she still did play a major role, but the darn tokoloshe were bigger than life. (When I looked back, all of it was there in my outline, but I guess the writing of the story just brought it all to life for me.)
Each posed different problems that Nelwazi needs to solve. He must not only disperse the tokoloshe that are sent after them by the sangoma, but he must find a way to undo the curse he inadvertently placed on the poor elephant, and Ngobizitha, the sangoma he ticked off, is the only one who can help him. These unusual problems required me, the writer, to come up with some creative solutions. When the story was finished, “Zombie Elephant” no longer seemed to be the right title. And while the tokoloshe stole the spotlight on several occasions, it didn’t seem right to switch to “Tokoloshe”, because the story encompasses so much more.
I was shocked to realize that my final word count was over 15,000 words. That’s three times the maximum word count of 5,000 set for the story submissions for the Midnight Oil anthology, which is the intended destination for this story. That’s almost novella length. I wasn’t sure if this story belonged in this anthology anymore. There wasn’t time to write another story, so in the end, I decided to include it, but it is a strong enough story to be a standalone.
And that is the evolution of “Sangomas, Tokoloshe, & Zombie Elephants, Oh My!”, which will be featured in its entirety in Midnight Oil: Stories to Fuel Your Nightmares. Scheduled for release on October 28.
About Kaye Lynne Booth
For Kaye Lynne Booth, writing is a passion. Kaye Lynne is an author with published short fiction and poetry, both online and in print, including her short story collection, Last Call and Other Short Fiction; and her paranormal mystery novella, Hidden Secrets; Books 1 & 2 of her Women in the West adventure series, Delilah and Sarah, and book 1 in her Time-Travel Adventure series, The Rock Star & The Outlaw, as well as her poetry collection, Small Wonders and The D.I.Y. Author writing resource.
Kaye holds a dual M.F.A. degree in Creative Writing with emphasis in genre fiction and screenwriting, and an M.A. in publishing. Kaye Lynne is the founder of WordCrafter Quality Writing & Author Services and WordCrafter Press, where she edits and publishes two short fiction anthologies and one poetry anthology every year amidst her many writing projects. She also maintains an authors’ blog and website, Writing to be Read, where she publishes content of interest in the literary world.
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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 segment of “Writer’s Corner” is sponsored by the Robbie’s Inspiration blog site, where you can find ideas on writing and baking with hostess, Robbie Cheadle.
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Undawntech: Broken Promises, A Future Unknown
Posted: October 4, 2025 Filed under: AI Technology, Undawntech | Tags: AI Technology, Undawntech, Writing to be Read Leave a comment
Just like the Industrial Revolution of the 19th Century, Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) is overthrowing established doctrines and creating a brave new world. Humans are entering a dystopic futuristic phase planted in present apathy. Do you know who reads the book of your life? Do you care? From spying on your every move, balancing your checkbook, making medical decisions for you, and helping you commit suicide, A.I. has the capacity to run and ruin your life.
Excuse me?
AI Isn’t Magic, It’s Being Used to Spy on You, Experts Warn https://futurism.com/the-byte/ai-magic-spy-on-you-experts-warn
How artificial intelligence controls your health insurance coverage https://theconversation.com/how-artificial-intelligence-controls-your-health-insurance-coverage-253602
New Social Security Bank Access Rule Means AI Crawlers Will Be Searching For These Transactions
Evaluation of Alignment Between Large Language Models and Expert Clinicians in Suicide Risk Assessment https://psychiatryonline.org/doi/10.1176/appi.ps.20250086?ref=404media.co
The family of teenager who died by suicide alleges OpenAI’s ChatGPT is to blame https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news/family-teenager-died-suicide-alleges-openais-chatgpt-blame-rcna226147
Even though A.I. is created by human algorithms, its creators have little accountability for the monster they bring into existence. This technology is in the Wild West phase of development, where anything goes as long as the corporate part of human governance gets there first. No real laws. No real answers. No protections.
To illustrate, A.I. is cataloging vast amounts of user data from chatbots to every day activities. Data consolidation like the United States government’s Fusion Centers (https://www.dhs.gov/fusion-centers) give Artificial Intelligence a foundation into your lives, activities, and behaviors. Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) and Section 702 (https://www.intel.gov/foreign-intelligence-surveillance-act/fisa-section-702) are allowed to collect American citizens’ data from phones, emails, social media for 72 hours and be perused without a warrant.
Let’s take this example into the real world: you were taken to the Emergency Room for a spider bite. That medical information is uploaded into the Fusion Center nearest you, and dumped into 702 data collection. Your interaction with the medical industrial complex is then intercepted by A.I. The phone calls you made to work, school, parents, spouse, children, etc. were recorded and placed in data collection. The scans, medications, and recommendations you were given are also uploaded. Next, you return home to convalesce. Your phone, computer screen, and television are riddled with advertisements about pest control, spider bites, hospitals, and emergencies.
Would that be relaxing to you? Or, is this to stoke the inner hypochondriac?
Isn’t that what your medical, home, car, and life insurance policies will be monitoring before your next scheduled policy purchase? How much will all your plans increase based on what you do and do not do during the interim?
Thanks to government and technological overreach, humans don’t have control of their lives; there is no privacy; and your protected rights aren’t so protected.
When is apathy no longer an excuse to stay silent about the real issues? The crux of the technological nightmare is Digital I.D. and currency. With these two factors as the umbrella centralization of information, governments can take all your choices and privacy away from you forever.
Reimagining Digital ID https://www.weforum.org/publications/reimagining-digital-id/
Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) https://www.federalreserve.gov/central-bank-digital-currency.htm
What are you waiting for? For A.I. to take your creativity away, as well?
Musicians Vs. Machines: First Ever Record Contract to AI Music Creator Prompts Panic, Protest
‘Hunger Games’ Screenwriter Billy Ray Warns ‘Existential Threat’ AI Is to Hollywood: ‘Bad Movies, Bad TV Shows, and a Lot of People Out of Work’
AI Studio Chief Says Talent Agencies Rushing to Sign AI Digital Movie Star Tilly Norward
It may already be too late.
But if you would like to endeavor on changing this timeline for the better, then be heard: https://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/
Only you can be the change you are looking for…
——-~o0o~—oOo—~o0o~~——
For a Halloween trick or treat, purchase The Descent: a darker breed of poetry.
Available at these fine retailers:
www.undawnted.com/p/the-descent.html
“A well crafted piece of art.”
“Both the descriptions and use of language here are very elaborate. The poem shows intricate crafting, the style and subjects of course, are reminiscent of Poe- this is not only a fitting homage, but stands on its own, the word choices are exact and richly expressive.”
“As if Poe came right off the page. This homage is literally perfect.”
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DL Mullan holds a Master of Arts in Teaching and Learning with Technology.
Her lecture, Spacescapes: Where Photography Ends; Imagination Begins, debuted at the Phoenix Astronomy Society, which then led to her Sally Ride Festival lecture invitations. Her presentation, Bridging the Gap between Technology and Women, won her accolades at a community college’s Student Success Conference. She has been a panelist at speculative fiction, science fiction, and other regional conventions. Her digital exhibition pieces have won awards at convention art shows, as well as garnered her Second Premium at the Arizona State Fair. Currently, Ms. Mullan’s artistic renditions are seen on book covers, blog sites, and various merchandise. As an independent publisher, she uses her technical background to innovate the way she perceives the creative arts.
As a writer, DL Mullan loves to stretch her imagination and the elasticity of genres. She writes complex multigenre stories in digestible and entertaining forms, be it poetry, short fiction, or novels. Her science, history, mythology, and paranormal research background is woven into her writings, especially in Undawnted’s Legacy Universe. Ms. Mullan’s creative endeavors are available in digital and print collections, from academia to commercial anthologies. She is also a record label owner, an electronic musician and award-winning poet.
Be sure to subscribe to her newsletters and follow her on social media. For further information, visit her at www.undawntech.com and www.undawnted.com.
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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 segment of Undawnted is sponsored by WordCrafter Quality Writing & Author Services.
Whether it’s editing, publishing, or promotion that you need, WordCrafter Quality Writing & Author Services can help at a price you can afford.
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Lindsey’s WRITING PRACTICE- Review: “Jigsaw Puzzling: Essays in a Time of Pestilence” by Denise Low
Posted: October 1, 2025 Filed under: Book Review, Books, Lindsey's Writing Practice, Nonfiction, Review | Tags: Book Reveiw, Denise Low, Jigsaw Puzzling, Lindsey Martin-Bowen, Lindsey's Writing Practice, Nonfiction, Problem Solving, Writing to be Read 4 Comments
By Lindsey Martin-Bowen
“I never underestimate the power of a single puzzle piece. It fits within a whole, like each moment of my unfolding life story.”
—Denise Low
Hey, Dear Readers, this month you’ve earned a break: No writing exercise. Instead, I’m posting an engaging book review by a well-known poet, professor, fiction and prose writer, and former Kansas Poet Laureate, Denise Low. Jigsaw Puzzling: Essays in a Time of Pestilence amazed me—and I had to share the experience with others. Please enjoy it!
Who’da thunk it? Such an accomplished, widely-published poet, fiction and scholarly writer, and esteemed university professor she is—yet she’s writing about and documenting info about jigsaw puzzles?
Yes!
This brilliant scholar, Denise Low, penned an insightful, in-depth, engaging and well-researched book that could suffice as a manual or textbook for the jig-sawing craft. Trapped indoors—sans travel and during the COVID-19 pandemic, she and her husband, visual artist, Thomas Pecore Weso, found fulfillment and experienced marvelous teamwork in assembling jigsaw puzzles, including those that emulate high art. (In fact, Chapter 4 , “The Great Masters in (Jigsaw) Pieces,” Lowe lists some of the painting reproductions transformed into jig-saw puzzles, among them, Vincent Van Gogh’s Sunflowers, Claude Monet’s Waterlilies, and Thomas Gainsborough’s The Blue Boy.)
Like me, Low views paintings as “more intimate than photographs.” She continues to explore this viewpoint by adding, “If [Van Gogh’s] Arles bedroom scene had been a photograph, historical documentation would give the image an aura of authenticity. The painted representation of the bedroom also has some value as documentation— what was a nineteenth century peasant room like, anyway?—and it also records his mode of painterly creation. The artist’s vivid palette and energetic, rough brushstrokes are unique to him. The puzzling apotheosis of Van Gogh, a person transformed into an artist god, overrode my experience of the original painting. (30)
Low also intertwines words from Margaret Drabble, who pointed out the integration of high art into jigsaw puzzles to Springbok Editions’ 1964 publication of Jackson Pollack’s Convergence, renowned as “the most difficult jigsaw puzzle in the world,” by a British Broadcasting Company radio show, hosted by Alan Dein. Drabble is also a jigsaw and Van Gogh admirer, Low points out, and quotes Drabble’s words about the two topics: From jigsaws, you learn about the brushstrokes of Van Gogh, the clouds of Constable, the reflections and shadows of Manet, the stripes of Tissot and Rousseau, the brickwork and tiles of the Dutch masters, the flesh tones of Titian, the undulating fabrics and limbs of Botticelli, the business of Botsch and Breughel. (31) (From Drabble’s The Pattern in the Carpet: A Personal History with Jigsaws. Boston:Houghton Mifflin, p. 250, (2009 ).
Nevertheless, Low does not limit her analysis (and resolutions) of jigsaws to historical (primarily European) paintings. She also analyzes a work by a master Indigenous artist, whose works (in jigsaw puzzles) she admits were “not as easy” to find. Fortunately, her husband, (a member of the Menominee Nation family) found (on the internet) the Lakota leader Red Cloud, (his family’s distant relative), in a jigsaw of the original painting of Red Cloud standing with a calvary officer in front of four teepees, for a reconciliation—rather than for a war.
Both Low and her husband relate strongly to Native American art. In fact, she equates the process of piecing together a “large, table-size picture piece-by-piece “as tantamount to “creating a sand painting” (33), a process wherein Native American tribes and Tibetan Monks create art by mixing various hues with the sand.
Further, Low doesn’t focus solely on painted artwork. She also analyzes engravings and illustrations, such as one of a cabinet of curiosities from Ferrante Imperato’s Deli’Historia Naturale (Naples 1599), poetry shards, mosaics, and various other topics for jigsaw puzzles—and offers histories for these varieties of subjects in jigsaws.
In the final chapters, she wraps up how the jigsawing during that frightening pandemic affected her priorities, psyche, and health. An unexpected result of immersion into Jigsaw Landria has been how colors burn into my retinas and become part of my inner life. In waking dreams, sections from Water Lilies would dance before my eyes, colors of blue-topaz, cotton-candy pink, and fern green. Other puzzles have had the had the same effect, with after images of colors entering inner sight, dreams, and early morning awakening. These colors interacted with what, a spirit body? An etheric double? An aura?
From those questions, Low analyzes the various theories on color and concludes that Color is one of our first considerations when we select a puzzle. . . we want something bright or soothing or compelling. A puzzle made of too many colors is chaotic and upsetting . . . . As COVID-19 lasts far beyond the year 2020, we look for more from Monet’s palette, the muted tones of a seascape as sunlight filters through mist, we are grateful for this respite from the grim chaos beyond our control. (93)
Indeed, Low’s brilliant insight applies to our current Zeitgeist in the U.S., too.
After teaching many years as a tenured writing and literature Professor at Haskell Indian Nations University in Lawrence, Kansas, Low now teaches at Baker University. With more than 30 poetry books published, she continues to work in her free-lance writing career.
About Lindsey Martin-Bowen
On Halloween 2023, redbat books released Lindsey Martin-Bowen’s 7th poetry collection, CASHING CHECKS with Jim Morrison. Her 4 th collection, Where Water Meets the Rock, was nominated for a Pulitzer; her 3rd, CROSSING KANSAS with Jim Morrison was a finalist in the QuillsEdge Press 2015-2016 Contest. In 2017, it won the Kansas Writers Assn award, “Looks Like a Million.” Writer’s Digest gave her “Vegetable Linguistics” an Honorable Mention in its 85th Annual (2017) Contest. Her Inside Virgil’s Garage (Chatter House Press 2013) was a runner-up in the 2015 Nelson Poetry Book Award. McClatchy Newspapers named her Standing on the Edge of the World (Woodley Press/Washburn University) was one of the Ten Top Poetry Books of 2008. It was nominated for a Pen Award.
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Did you know you can sponsor your favorite blog series or even a single post with an advertisement for your book? Stop by the WtbR Sponsor Page and let me advertise your book, or you can make a donation to Writing to be Read for as little as a cup of coffee, If you’d like to show your support for this author and WordCrafter Press.
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This post sponsored by WordCrafter Quality Writing & Author Services.
Whether it’s editing, publishing, or promotion that you need, WordCrafter Quality Writing & Author Services can help at a price you can afford.
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Book Review: “That the Dead May Rest” & “Knock Out”
Posted: September 26, 2025 Filed under: Book Review, Books, Crime, Dark fiction, Fiction, Mystery, Paranormal, Speculative Fiction, Thriller, Zombie Fiction | Tags: Book Review, Karen A. Wyle, Knock Out, Mia Gold, mystery, Paranormal, Speculative Fiction, That the Dead May Rest, Thriller, Writing to be Read, Zombies 4 CommentsAbout That the Dead May Rest
After a life of peril and fear, Millie has reached the peace, beauty, and security of the afterlife. But one day, when she is performing her glad duty of welcoming a new spirit, that spirit recoils from her in horror — because her body had become a zombie, and had brutally killed him.
As more spirits make the same terrible discovery, they ask themselves, and each other: is this somehow my fault? When will it end? And finally: what can we do? Is there something we can do to stop this?
And are there people among the living who can help them to do it?
Purchase Link: https://www.amazon.com/That-Dead-Rest-Karen-Wyle-ebook/dp/B0FLRK4VC1
My Review of That the Dead May Rest
I received a digital review copy of That the Dead May Rest, by Karen A. Wyle through Sandra’s Book Club review program. All opinions stated here are my own.
This multiple P.O.V. story has a lot of telling, rather than showing, and the number of characters made it difficult for me to relate with any of them, or even keep track of who is who. I had to stop reading and pull out of the story multiple times to go back and figure out which character’s head I’m in at the moment. This made it difficult to really care about what happens to them, as well. I think the only way this tale could be told is from multiple P.O.V.s, so the author had the right idea, but as a reader, I needed to be able to invest in at least one or two of the characters, and I didn’t get to know them well enough to be able to do that. I didn’t feel the character’s fear, or grief, or pain, but I knew they were feeling these things because the characters expressed how awful these feelings were for them.
I believe the cover was what drew me to this book. At first, I thought I had picked up a typical zombie story, but this book is definitely not that. Although, there are zombies, the characters, alive or dead, just talk about the zombie attacks rather than being attacked themselves. In fact, zombies only make appearances a few times. But we know they are there, because the characters tell us they are. That may have made it more difficult for me to take the gravity of the situation more seriously.
It actually isn’t a bad story line, but the author could have done so much more with it. The ghosts are quite disturbed when they discover their former bodies are rising from their graves and attacking people. The living are slow to make the connection between what’s happening and zombie activity, and at first write it off as ‘mysterious creature attacks’. If I could have felt the anger of living characters who lost loved ones to the attacks, or been able to feel the horror at learning the character’s former body had done such a hideous thing, I could have rooted for them and cheered as they came closer to reaching their goals had they behaved in a manner that communicated their feelings instead of just telling me about it.
The ghosts/spirits reach out to the living, and they join forces to find a solution. The afterlife should not be so stressful and something must be done. But, what is causing these vile creatures, and how do you stop a zombie epidemic? There are several ideas from the members of the group, both alive and dead. This is the tale of their quest to help the living to live and allow the dead to rest.
While the story line is original, the multiple points of view made it a bit confusing, and I had difficulty getting into the story and relating with the characters. I give That the Dead May Rest three quills.
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About Knock Out
In this action mystery thriller series by #1 bestseller Mia Gold (whose books have over 5,000 five-star ratings), Holly Hands, 29, single mom and former boxing pro turned Repo Woman, lives in the bad slice of Baltimore and dreams of getting the medical treatment her daughter desperately needs. But when she discovers a dead body in her trunk during a routine repo job, Holly has to tap into her fighting skills to solve the mystery. Hunt down the killer, and save her from a wrongful conviction that would take her away from her daughter…
Purchase Link: https://www.amazon.com/Knockout-Holly-Hands-Cozy-Mystery-Book-ebook/dp/B08K9CYX9Q
My Review of Knock Out
I purchased Knock Out, by Mia Gold as a Bookbub bargain on a day when I felt like reading out of my norm as an impulse buy. All opinions stated here are my own.
A quick glance at the title led me to believe the book was about boxing. Boxing is one of my least favorite sports, so the boxing world always feels quite alien to me. I surprised myself when I purchased this book, and I’m glad that I did. Knock Out is book 1 in Mia Gold’s Holly Hands Mystery series.
I was pleasantly surprised when I started reading, to discover that Holly Hands is a single mother and ex-boxer, who has been suspended for taking a dive in the ring because her daughter needs a series of expensive operations. Our heroine did something wrong for all the right reasons, so we can empathize with her when she discovers it was all for nothing. The loan shark who agreed to pay for her to lose is nowhere to be found, her boxing career is down the toilet, and she still can’t pay for the procedures her daughter, Olivia desperately needs.
In her search for the lying loan shark, she turns to an acquaintance from school, who has pull in all the right circles, and he agrees to help her find him if she’ll come to work for him as a ‘ repo agent’, offering the suspended boxer another opportunity to get the money for the needed operations. On her first job repossessing a car, she gets pulled over and police find a body in the trunk, and they are looking at her as a murder suspect. She must find the real killer to clear her name, sending her on a mission looking for clues to what really happened to the murder victim.
I really liked Gold’s complex characters, like Holly Hands, the fighter, who was raised in a family of fighters and managed to hold her own against her two brothers, yet has a soft spot in her heart for big sad looking dogs and her eight-year-old daughter. At the same time, she’s a struggling single mother with an ill child, who will do whatever it takes to heal Olivia and give her a better life. As a repo agent, she walks a fine line between legal and illegal activity as she maneuvers her way through the local criminal elements, and in her spare time she searches for a killer, coming up against some dangerous people along the way. You can’t help but like her, and she’d a fun character that you want to root for. Holly strikes me as a female James Rockford, (James Garner’s character in The Rockford Files); always falling into unexpected situations and coming up with solutions by the skin of her teeth.
No spoilers, but to say that by the end of the book, the author had each subplot wrapped up nicely while wrapping up with a hint that finding the lying loan shark may be just around the corner in the second book in the series. And since I had been rooting for Holly throughout the entire book, I definitely wanted to see that main storyline through to the end. I may have to buy the second book, so this book does what every series writer hopes for: readers to want more.
A wonderful amateur detective mystery. I give Knock Out five quills.
About Kaye Lynne Booth
For Kaye Lynne Booth, writing is a passion. Kaye Lynne is an author with published short fiction and poetry, both online and in print, including her short story collection, Last Call and Other Short Fiction; and her paranormal mystery novella, Hidden Secrets; Books 1 & 2 of her Women in the West adventure series, Delilah and Sarah, and book 1 in her Time-Travel Adventure series, The Rock Star & The Outlaw, as well as her poetry collection, Small Wonders and The D.I.Y. Author writing resource.
Kaye holds a dual M.F.A. degree in Creative Writing with emphasis in genre fiction and screenwriting, and an M.A. in publishing. Kaye Lynne is the founder of WordCrafter Quality Writing & Author Services and WordCrafter Press, where she edits and publishes two short fiction anthologies and one poetry anthology every year amidst her many writing projects. She also maintains an authors’ blog and website, Writing to be Read, where she publishes content of interest in the literary world.
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Kaye Lynne Booth does honest book reviews on Writing to be Read in exchange for ARCs. Have a book you’d like reviewed? You can request a review on the Book Review tab above.
Mind Fields: When Nothing Makes Sense
Posted: October 17, 2025 | Author: artrosch | Filed under: Commentary, Mind Fields, The Human Condition | Tags: Arthur Rosch, Commentary, Human Condition, Mind Fields, Writing to be Read | 3 CommentsMuch of our personal sanity depends on our ability to form a narrative that describes our life in a coherent and stable way. Without that….we’re crazy! And perhaps its necessary to be crazy some of the time, to let the choo choo run off it’s tracks. The main reason craziness is so important is that it often breeds originality.
Here is the question: Is there a Power, a Force, an entity that is either within my body or external to it that “takes care” of me in matters of spiritual and emotional progress? I would like to believe that there is, but I must first be aware that wishful thinking plays a huge part in any such inquiry.
My life experiences seem to demonstrate that there is some sort of “path” which can appear if one makes a commitment to the walking of the path. Who or what supervises the traveling of this path? Is it ME, myself, or is it something that is both of and alien to my personal guise?
I suspect that the only answer to such a question must be found somewhere in my mind or consciousness but that would be a cop out. There apparently is no answer available on the human realm. My inclination is to BELIEVE that such a force does exist. Essentially the question resolves to this: is there a god? I’m a sort of pagan pantheist; I believe that not only is there a god, but there are gods by the millions; beings who live on another plane of life. We can only access this plane via disciplines or sheer grace. They are HERE, but we can’t see them.
About Arthur Rosch
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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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 segment of “Mind Fields” is sponsored by the Roberta Writes blog site, where you can find the poetry, photos, videos, and book reviews by Robbie Cheadle and so much more.
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