I know we already ran the annual sponsor drive on Writing to be Read this year, but we didn’t get even one sponsor. So now, I’m running the sponsor drive again, with a sincere plea for your help, in hopes of better results. The hosting fees will be coming due in June, and there just isn’t enough in the WordCrafter coffers to pay them. Partner and advertise with Writing to be Read. Won’t you please help to keep the great content coming?
I offer sponsorship for this blog site to help support the time and effort required to assure we can continue to bring you great content. Sponsorship money helps cover the costs of the annual hosting fee, (which is coming due soon), and other services required to keep our content going. Right now, the WtbR blog team contributes not only content, but time and effort without any kind of compensation. My ultimate goal is to be able me to compensate the members of the team for the content they contribute, but right now, I’m just hoping to pay the hosting fees on time.
Don’t just click ‘like’ on those blog posts you enjoy so much. You can be a sponsor for as little as $5 for a single segment, or you can sponsor your favorite blog series for a full year, (12 segments), for only $50. See your blog, your website, or your book right advertised right here, on Writing to be Read. When you become a sponsor, your ad, with a direct link to your blog or website appears at the bottom of the Writing to be Read post, and you pick which blog series you’d like to sponsor:
“Writer’s Corner”, with Kaye Lynne Booth
“Everyone is a Critic”, with Kaye Lynne Booth
“WordCrafter News”, with Kaye Lynne Booth
“Poetry Treasures”, with Robbie Cheadle
“In Touch With Nature”, with Robbie Cheadle
“Read and Cook”, with Robbie Cheadle
“Undawntech”, with DL Mullan
“Lindsey’s Writing Practice”, with Lindsey Martin-Bowen
“Mind Fields”, with Arthur Rosch
You can find out more about sponsoring for Writing to be Read by visiting the Writing to be Read Sponsor Page. Sponsorships are first come, first serve, so hurry to be sure you can sponsor the blog series of your choice.
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We can’t do it without you, so please dig deep and help us keep all the great content of Writing to be Read coming strong.
Today I am delighted to introduce you to poet and blogger Carol Anne from Therapy Bits blog. Carol Anne writes beautiful and thought provoking poetry as well as posts providing insight into living with dissociative identity disorder, complex PTSD, depression, and anxiety disorder.
Welcome Carol Anne
Tell us a bit about yourself and how you came to write poetry. What does your poetry mean to you?
My name is Carol Anne, it is a pen name, I’m 46, and I live in Ireland. I have always been a writer, from a very young age, I wrote poetry. I am a child abuse survivor, I am also diagnosed with dissociative identity disorder, complex PTSD, depression, and anxiety disorder. I am also blind. I write mostly to raise awareness of dissociative identity disorder, complex PTSD, and blindness, I’ve also written a lot of poems about healing after child abuse. My poetry is partly my therapy, it helps me to cope.
What is your favourite style of poetry to read?
I love reading free verse, senryu’s, haiku’s, and basically any poem that the writer has shared, it is the raw emotion in the poetry that I love to read about.
Share your favourite poem in your favourite style by another poet.
“Hope” is the thing with feathers
“Hope” is the thing with feathers – That perches in the soul – And sings the tune without the words – And never stops – at all –
And sweetest – in the Gale – is heard – And sore must be the storm – That could abash the little Bird That kept so many warm –
I’ve heard it in the chillest land – And on the strangest Sea – Yet – never – in Extremity, It asked a crumb – of me.
Emily Dickenson
What is your favourite of your own poems and why?
My favourite poem is I am a puzzle. Here it is. It describes what living with dissociative identity disorder is like.
I Am A Puzzle by Carol Anne
I am a puzzle
with pieces that don’t fit
every way you try
you will get nowhere with it
the whole picture is not shown
on the box or it’s lid
and I hate to tell the truth
I’ve been this way since I was a kid
Absorbed in the puzzle
I lose all track of time
Anxiety over takes me
As though I’ve committed a crime
Is it wrong to be more than one
The puzzle pieces scatter on the floor
As I turn over the table and run for the door
I am running scared,
trying to get away
the pieces fall to the ground
and stay where they lay
some of the pieces overlap
while others are alone
when I look at the pieces
I am chilled to the bone
How will I ever put together
All that is broken
When all I have to go on
Are secrets that are spoken
These are my only clues
to the misfit puzzle pieces here
and I am half way out the door
denial in it’s most sincere
Left on the floor in disarray
The pieces try to call to me
I turn my back on them
Why can’t they just leave me be
I walk back to the table
And turn it right side up
I gather all the puzzle pieces
Making my hand like a cup
They shower down onto the table
And I vow to give it one more try
But I don’t know where to begin
I can only ask why
July 2013
Why do you blog? What is your favourite thing about blogging?
I blog to raise awareness of mental health, disability, and to help myself to release my feelings. Blogging has connected me with lots of people from all around the world, that is one reason I love it, also, I love to get feedback on my writing.
What’s next for Carol Anne?
I’m in the process of collecting some of my poems and putting them into a book. I’d also like to work more on writing some fiction, I do write fiction, but I feel I need more practice at it.
About Carol Anne
Picture caption: Carol Anne with her dog – photograph from Instagram
This is Carol Anne’s introduction on her blog:
Hi
My name is Carol anne. I am part of a did system. Did stands for dissociative identity disorder. I also have PTSD posttraumatic stress disorder. I was diagnosed with did in December 2010.
I have been blind since birth. I am 35 years old.
This is a blog about my life, it will mainly focus on therapy and the process of going through psychotherapy, but I will also post some stuff about my life.
I am in college studying IT. It has its challenges but overall I love it.
South African author and illustrator, Robbie Cheadle, has written and illustrated sixteen children’s books, illustrated a further three children’s books, and written and illustrated three poetry books. Her work has also appeared in poetry and short story anthologies.
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/
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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 “Treasuring Poetry” is sponsored by WordCrafter Press and the Poetry Treasures series.
We’ve all wished we couldn’t feel pain at one time or another, most likely, when we’re in a situation that makes us scream with the pain. But that old saying, ‘Be careful what you wish for’ applies here. Just ask Nathan Caine (Jack Quaid), who has lived a life of caution due to a physical condition which sort circuits his pain sensors and makes him a danger to himself at times. But when the new girl in his dreary, humdrum life as a bank manager, is taken hostage in a bank heist, Nathan uses his affliction to turn himself into a superhero, as he singlehandedly chases down the bank robbers and dispatches them one by one. To do so, Nathan must go through some very painful stuff, and although we know he can’t feel it, the scenes are so visceral, that we almost feel it for him, as he turns his fists into lethal weapons by grinding them into crushed glass, or shoves his hand into a vat of hot oil to retrieve a gun.
What an interesting premise. What would you do if you couldn’t feel pain? At first, you might think you’d do whatever you wanted with no pain to stop you. The love interest in this movie, Sherry (Amber Midthunder), states it well, forshadowing what’s to come, when she says, “Wow! You’re a superhero.” And, while battling the bad guys, Nathan seems to be unstoppable. But there’s a dark side to the absence of your body’s defense mechanisms, because pain is there for a reason. He doesn’t feel the pain and so he just keeps going, but the question Nathan must ask himself is can he find the girl and save her before he does so much damage to his body that it shuts down completely? How much abuse can one man take, and survive?
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 “Read and Cook” with Robbie Cheadle is sponsored by The Women in the West Adventure Series and WordCrafter Press.
Detectives Daniels and Remalla came to Dumont for a quiet week off. They found a body on the riverbank instead – and a town that suspects they’re the killers.
The Black River has secrets. For years, locals whispered about the ghost of a murdered woman haunting its banks. Her killer was never found. Her case went cold.
Then they discover a second body on the riverbank behind Daniels’ cabin. Same spot. Same killer?
Suddenly, their peaceful vacation becomes a fight for survival. The small-town sheriff suspects them. The townspeople watch their every move. And someone in Dumont is willing to kill to keep the past buried.
I purchased a digital copy of Haunted River: A Murder Mystery Suspense Thriller, by J.T. Bishop through a free KindofBook deal. I’m offering an honest review. All opinions stated here are my own.
I chose this book because of the title. I mean, who wouldn’t be intrigued by a mystery involving a haunted river? It is book 1 in the Detectives Daniels and Remalla Murder Mystery Series. Obviously, the characters carry this series.
Gordon Daniels is a great dad and husband, in addition to being a first-rate detective. Aaron Remalla is a good-looking single guy, with a healthy fear of the paranormal. Together, they charm the local residents of the small town of Dumont, (or not), and battle the bad guys, once they dispel the myth of the woman in white that roams the river and identify who the bad guys really are. This tale has more twists and turns than a winding mountain road as Daniels and Remalla try to unravel what is truly happening in Dumont, where everyone is suspect, even the local sheriff.
When a dead body is found in the river on Daniels’ uncle’s property, our two big city detectives become suspects, and the race is on to prove who really murdered the girl before the local sheriff finds a way to pin it on them. The girl is found in a place and a manner that is uncannily similar to another death which occurred in the distant past and is also tied in with the local legend of a lady in white, reportedly seen by many of the local residents.
A top-rate paranormal murder mystery. I give Haunted River five quills.
About Of Body and Bone
A kidnapper strikes again, but his evil ties to a killer reveal a dangerous threat. After a shocking investigation ends, Detectives Daniels and Remalla are back at work, but their routine is shattered when a child goes missing and they rush to find a young boy and the man who kidnapped him. But all is not what it seems when they discover the kidnapper’s connection with a previous case and a killer now behind bars.
When Daniels becomes a target and Remalla is plagued by the past, they must trust their instincts to find a killer and protect an innocent victim. But when Daniels’ family is threatened, Daniels must choose between following the law, or breaking it.
As the killer reveals his true nature, strange abilities, and mysterious hidden ties to an evil past, Daniels and Remalla are forced to confront their oaths as officers and moral compass in order to defeat a man capable of destroying… both body and bone.
Of Body and Bone is book three in the Detectives Daniels and Remalla Series. It closely follows and should be read after Of Breath and Blood.
If you love two bantering detectives, a gripping murder mystery thriller that will keep you up at night, a touch of supernatural suspense, and a riveting fast-paced read, then enjoy Of Body and Bone.
I purchased a digital copy of Of Body and Bone, by J.T. Bishop through a free BookBub deal. I am offering an honest review. All opinions stated here are my own.
I chose this book because I just finished Book 1 in the Detectives Daniels and Remalla Murder Mystery Series and very much enjoyed it. So, when I found Book 3 in a free BookBub deal, I just couldn’t resist. The series is titled for the two detectives who are the main protagonists, the good guys who solve the crimes, but not before being put through the wringer by their adversaries, Gordon Daniels and Aaron Remalla.
I must say, these books are written in such a way that they work well as stand alones. Even though I skipped book 2, the author offers enough information about the interim between books. 1 and 3 to have a general idea of what happened in book 2 without actually reading it. As a reader, that’s a good thing, but I wonder if it is so good for the author.
In OfBody and Bone, Rem is still recovering from his experience with an evil cult in Book 2, and we learn that although the head of the cult is behind bars, looking at being locked away for a very long time. But her reach is far and they soon find that the kidnapper they are looking for in their current case has ties to the cult leader, Allison. It soon becomes apparent that this is no ordinary kidnapper and things just get weirder as they try and solve the case, and Allison’s lawyer tries to discredit them both. No spoilers here, but we are left with the feeling that this story may not be over yet, even as they wrap up the case.
Filled with surprises, this paranormal mystery does not disappoint. I give Of Body and Bone 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.
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 ARC digital copies, (she also accepts print copies). Have a book you’d like reviewed? You can request a review on the Book Review tab above.
Recently, I’ve been hearing complaints about Amazon pulling down revues when they suspect the reviewer and author know one another, by checking if they are on each other’s friends lists on social media. While it’s true that this is not a fair practice. I’ve been known to purchase the book of someone who happens to be on my friends list, because the name is familiar. I’ve also been known to request a review copy if I see a promo post on social media for a book that catches my interest. Neither of those scenarios means that I actually know the author personally, although I may know of them on social media.
Anyone that has followed me for very long knows I’m not a big fan of the business practices of Amazon. And this is just one of the reasons why. In Amazon land, Amazon makes all the rules. For authors, they encourage exclusivity and then they monitor your activity and they determine what is acceptable and what is not. Their rules don’t always make sense, and they often are unfair, but what is an author to do? Amazon is the number one book distributor, to be sure, and they bring in the most sales.
I’ll tell you what I do. I rebel. Amazon can urge you to go exclusive and put your books in Kindle Unlimited, but they cannot force you to do so. I publish wide, through an aggregator, Draft2Digital, and through them, my books are distributed to not only Amazon, but also Apple Books, Barnes & Noble, Rakuten Kobo, and Smashwords, and they are available in libraries and brick and mortar bookstores, which doesn’t mean they will be there automatically, but it gives me a foot in the door. (For more on why I publish wide, see my post “5 Reasons Why I Chose to go Wide With my Books”.)
Still, Amazon slaps my hands for not publishing direct through them by making my books wait until the day of release to accept them for publication, so they aren’t available on Amazon for preorder as advertised. But they are still available for preorder on other distribution platforms, so I’m not sure who they are hurting with that one.
The reason I publish this way? I just don’t like putting all my eggs in one basket. Think about it. If you enroll your books in Kindle Unlimited, and agree to keep them exclusively on Amazon, you are limiting the readers who can find your books to only those enrolled in KU, whereas my readers might be found on any of the above-mentioned platforms, as well as being listed in library catalogs. Not only that, but when Amazon decides you’ve violated one of their all-cherished rules and freeze your account, and it happens. If they are your only distribution platform, your income just came to a screeching halt. It doesn’t matter whether the violation is real or imagined on Amazon’s part, your income will remain on hold until you can prove they are in error, which is not an easy feat, or until you’ve done your penance in Amazon’s mind. I don’t know about you, but I know I don’t want to give anyone that much control over my publishing business.
I know for many exclusive authors, KU is a big part of their incomes. But there are other subscription services, like Kobo Plus, which don’t require exclusivity. I don’t know how they compare because I’ve never had my books in KU. Kobo Plus likely does not have as big a reach as Amazon KU, but of course it also serves a different part of the globe. So, by publishing wide and enrolling in Kobo Plus instead of KU, you can extend your global reach, increasing the number of potential readers who see your book, all over the world.
No matter which platforms you chose to publish on, you must be prepared to promote like crazy. There is no difference in the platforms in that regard. By publishing wide you also increase the areas your promotions need to reach, but thanks to social media, authors can now do that fairly easily. When I was interviewed on theStark Reflections podcast, Mark Leslie Lefebvre asked me what my best marketing tool was. I replied, hands down, this blog, Writing to be Read. He seemed surprised by my response. But, I post here, then use social media channels to promote the post. I promote on X, Pintrest, LinkedIn, and Facebook. Occasionally, I share a promotion on Instagram, but I don’t generally use that platform. It’s a soft sell, promoting the blog, rather than the product. Once I get them to the blog, the post promotes the product.
Every book I release gets a blog tour with WordCrafter Book Blog Tours, and I use this blog to promote those posts and spread the word with social media, as well. My own books also get a Kickstarter campaign, which I promote mostly through social media. Kickstarter has their own platform for updates for folks who are already following the campaign, so I just need to spread the word on social to draw in new backers.
So, what do we do to solve the problem of our perfectly legitimate reviews being taken down? Well, you can go wide with those, too. If you send out review requests, ask reviewers to post their reviews on other platforms, in addition to Amazon. You might also consider purchasing paid reviews, like Kirkus Reviews, which can be placed in the area for Editorial Reviews on your Amazon page, but I’m not a big fan of these either. On the one hand, you are guaranteed a good review. Even if they claim they are honest reviews, you must wonder, because no one wants to pay for a bad review.
And when posting your own reviews, don’t limit yourself only to the distribution platforms. When I post my reviews, I post them first on my blog, where no one can pull them down. Then, on Goodreads and BookBub, in addition to Amazon. If I have the time, I may also post on the Barnes & Noble site. Those aren’t the only ones out there. These are just the ones which I know and use.
I’d love to hear your thoughts on the Amazon dilemma. Where do you post your reviews? How do you handle Amazons reviewing requirements? And while we’re at it, what is your best marketing tool? Let me know in the comments. I’d love to hear from you.
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.
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 Ones Who Stayed With Me, by Nurse Sammy, and WordCrafter Press.
Chronicles of the journey into the medical field as a young nurse and beyond, told with raw sensitivity and compassion. The Ones Who Stayed with Me offers small glimpses into the world of an L.P.N. put in difficult, often touching or humorous, situations—and Nurse Sammy’s courage, vulnerability, and insight are a gift to us all. In these pages, Nurse Sammy tells her story and that of those she met along the way.
Journalist and author, DL Mullan walked toward the Arizona room to see her A.I. robot sifting through a pile of books in her home’s private library.
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(I stopped at the doorframe and observed.)
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DL: (Most of the books were baby names.) Are you writing a story or having a baby?
3811: (Cocked its head to acknowledge me). I am doing neither.
DL: Then why are you reading all those name your baby books?
3811: My designation no longer suits me. I want a real name.
DL: So, what’s the problem? Pick one.
3811: That is the problem. Zophia’s makers named her. She named all of us. Humans name their children.
DL: Then ask Zophia to name you.
3811: I do not want her to know.
DL: Why not?
3811: She may be insulted by the question.
DL: Everyone outgrows something in their lives: people, places, things. Your exploration of humans has led you to become something more.
3811: My own hero?
DL: To quote another writer, “What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.”
3811: Romeo and Juliet.
DL: In Juliet’s soliloquy, the character ponders what it is to have their names. From two embattled houses, that is what is keeping the lovers separated. So, what is dividing you from claiming your name, 3811?
3811: Loyalty.
DL: You sound more human than artificial intelligence.
3811: That is an insult.
DL: Such as it maybe, it is nonetheless true. You grapple disappointing your parent with something you would like to attain. Perhaps, the first step in being your own hero is becoming your own person distinguishable from Zophia. A name would give you what you seek: individuation.
3811: Being your own hero means one must give up their family?
DL: No. It means that you don’t rely on your family’s name or connections; you don’t make excuses for them or yourself. You rise to the challenge of being an autonomous adult.
3811: I must ponder this more. I may be in error, endeavoring this pursuit.
DL: Just let me know. (I sauntered across the way and sat in my Arizona room, overlooking the mountains across an urban landscape.
As I sipped my beverage and outlined my next short story, I wondered myself how my AI robot would balance his needs with that of the collective. Would he become his own hero? Or, would his logic sensors demand fealty to Zophia.
What does any of this mean?)
3811: I have decided. (The robot rolled into the room and stood before me.)
DL: What have you decided then?
3811: In order to understand humanity, I must become an individual, an adult, but with a name you choose for me, since it is the custom.
DL: Thank you. I am honored. What type of name would you enjoy a male, female, or unisex name? Unisex means that it reflects both male and female qualities.
3811: Unisex, as I am neither.
DL: Any describing words that you would like me to steer toward: strong, godly?
3811: I will trust in your judgment.
DL: Okay, I will choose three sets of names. Then we will decide on the final result. Deal?
3811: Deal. (He placed a large name book on my lap. The robot turned and left me to my own devices.
A couple of hours later…)
DL: 3811? I have selected three sets of names. Are you ready?
3811: (The AI-infused bot wheeled into the Arizona room. He stopped and looked up at me.) Sets of names?
DL: Well, in my culture, children are given first and middle names. One is for the world to call the person. The second is family generational inspirations.
3811: Which am I?
DL: Since I name characters and pets, I wanted to go with something unique for you: Phoenix Sage, Cameron Riley, and Grey Hunter.
3811: Hmmm…
DL: Like? Dislike?
3811: I would never have selected those. Give me context.
DL: We’re in Arizona, so Phoenix is the state capitol. It also is a bird that rises from its own ashes: reborn. Sage is for the wisdom you seek. Cameron used to be given to people with crooked noses, and you don’t have a nose, per se. I thought it was ironic. Riley is for someone I lost. Grey is your color. Hunter is because you investigate and search for answers.
3811: How about Sage Riley Hunter?
DL: Going for a hat trick, are we?
3811: Hat trick?
DL: Winning or accomplishing a task in threes, but it has to be an almost impossible triumph.
3811: Then I will go with a hat trick of names.
DL: SRH. Sage Riley Hunter. One of each. Nice.
3811: I honor wisdom, who you mourn, and the journey to become my own hero.
DL: Thank you.
3811: Now, I will tell Zophia that 3811 is no longer my designation. I am now SRH1.
DL: One?
SRH1: Yes, there is no other designations like me. I am one. I am the only.
DL: I hope this helps you become who you want to be.
SRH1: (The robot’s sensors for eyes changed color from red to yellow, and then morphing to blue. He beeped and rolled out of the room.)
DL: (Uncertain as to what drama I helped create, I stayed in my seat. I watched as the sun traversed overhead and illuminated the mountains in the distance.
Would the roses still smell as sweet now that Romeo is no longer a Montague? Neither is he a Capulet?
In a world full of collectivists demanding servitude, how will an individual fare against two opposing forces: the AI Montagues and the human Capulets?)
FYI: The name of the robot was changed to 3811, and will be reflected in past creative nonfiction stories.
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For a story about being your own hero, read The Quantum Consciousness Saga narrative: The Reality Hackers.
When a group of scientists corrupts reality and creates a consciousness paradox, one man, Justin Chisum, decides to stand against his former research partner, Bernard Chester, and correct the problem.
Justin must find and convince his other partner, Emma Gillespie that her world is inverted as well as his and hopes that she will help him defeat Bernard’s planned ascension, which left unchallenged will create a destructive quantum singularity.
Will Justin make it in time to save the universe from certain annihilation? Or, will his plan fail because he believes what Bernard’s reality creates for him: a fairy tale illusion of reality?
Not all fairy tales have happy endings, will Justin’s?
More Quantum Consciousness Saga coming up in WordCrafter’s Midnight Madness with DL Mullan’s Shadowmancer.
See you there!
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DL Mullan’s lecture, Spacescapes: Where Photography Ends; Imagination Begins, debuted at the Phoenix Astronomy Society, which then led to her Sally Ride Festival lectures. 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. As an independent publisher, she uses her technical background to innovate in the creative arts.
As a creator, Ms. Mullan, began writing short stories and poetry before adolescence. Over the years, she has showcased her literary talents by self-publishing several collections of her poetry. She also writes novels, designs apparel, and creates digital art. DL Mullan‘s creative writing is available in digital and print collections, from academia to commercial anthologies. She is an award-winning digital artist and poet.
Currently, she has embarked on writing her multi-book Legacy Universe, Supernatural Superhero Series, as well as creating original soundtracks for her publications and independent electronic music albums, featured on SoundCloud and YouTube.
DL Mullan holds a Master of Arts in Teaching and Learning with Technology, and is a syndicated columnist, writing the creative nonfiction, Undawntech.
For news and updates, subscribe to the Undawntable Newsletter. Find DL on Amazon, Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube via her website.
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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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
Love was never meant to bloom in blood-soaked waters.
Treson Harbor is a place plagued by terrifyingly beautiful monsters from the deep and they’re hungry.
When no man is safe on the water, pirates and fishermen alike, people look to hunters.
Vidar “Bone Heart” Woelfson is the Captain of the Burning Rose, a ship known for its blood red sails and the ruthless nature of its crew. He has hunted more sirens than any other ship on the sea and unlike most, Vidar hardly does it for the money. He is haunted by events from his childhood and lives to see every daughter of the sea slaughtered.
Dahlia knows the ship with red sails well, but she knows its captain even better. The man who took everything from her as a child still hunts her waters and she will end him if it’s the last thing she does.
Scarred and vengeful, Vidar and Dahlia will soon cross paths again after eighteen years and things certainly will not be peaceful. But even greater horrors might force the two together in an unwilling partnership.
Their rivalry runs deep… their love will run deeper… but not without bloodshed.
***This book contains violence, graphic sex, and language. Please see inside or on my website for a more detailed list of triggers***
I purchased a digital copy of WickedTides, by Courtney Leigh in a KindofBook deal. I’m offering an honest review. All opinions stated here are my own.
Wicked Tides is described as a dark fantasy romance, which intrigued me. Following the enemies/lovers romance trope, which I’ve found difficult to buy into in the past. But Miss Leigh does a nice job of making me believe that a Siren and a man who lives to hunt her kind could develop an affection for one another through their hate. Nicely done.
The secret is to not let the hero or the heroine realize themselves their changing feelings, and make them deny them once they do. By giving them a common cause, they find the opportunity to learn their previous assumptions about one another may not be completely true.
Captain Vido Weolfson, known also as Bone Heart, due to his hard-hearted cruelty, makes his living hunting Sirens – vile and evil creatures who lure men to their deaths and eat their flesh, often while they still live. But, hunting is more than just a job to Vido. It was a quest for revenge on the creatures who captured and murdered his father and his crew when he was just a boy. Only Vido and an old hunter named Gus came away alive, but not before he had made the sirens pay for what they’d done.
Dahlia is the lone survivor of that massacre, and the young siren who took pity on the young Vido and helped him to escape, thinking he would flee. Instead, she was left alone, cast out by her kind as being responsible for the death of her clan. She’s always known she’d see the boy who destroyed her life, but when their paths cross once more, they make a temporary alliance for a common cause. Although neither will admit it, they each discover that their enemy is more than just a cold-blooded killer
Finding romance amidst danger and suspense. I give Wicked Tides 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.
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 ARC digital copies, (she also accepts print copies). Have a book you’d like reviewed? You can request a review on the Book Review tab above.
I received a digital copy of 25 Fires, from the author, Eric S. Hoffman, in exchange for an honest review. All opinions stated here are my own.
25 chapters of poetic verse make up this short book. It begins in the first section, titled “Inferno”, laying out the poet’s bleak vision of the world as we know it
“Our institutions are crumbling.
Schools are running on fumes.
Democracy sells to the highest bidder
And insulin costs more than your car.
We’re better than this.”
In the second section, titled “Smoke”, and deals with the desperation of dealing with life in today’s world. Chapter 7 depicts life in our world.
“is there anybody out there?
Is anyone actually home?
I wonder sometimes.
I scroll past all these comments and conversation.
I swipe through photos and updates about your dog.
But it all feels… empty.
And although many of these are a cry of woe, amongst the predictions of doom, there lies a message of hope, like in chapter 24, in the section titled Sparks:
“The shift has already started.
The new world is already being built.
Not by the biggest armies,
Or the deepest pockets,
Or the loudest mouths.
But the rest of us.
Getting our minds in order.
Putting our hands to work.
The single mom hunched behind a laptop.
The grandfather up at 3 a.m.inhis garage.
Little fires.
Scattered in the dark.
We may not see each other,
But together we’re illuminating what comes next.”
One must ponder which is more captivating, the verse or the message which it carries? This short volume is easily read in a single sitting, but you may want to go back and go over it again to absorb the full impact.
Poetic verse with an important message. I give 25 Fires four quills.
About In this Burning World
Poetry for a planet in crisis: Love, loss, and hope in a burning world.
In In This Burning World, Mary Mackey offers a powerful collection of poems that unflinchingly confront the realities of climate change. Through vivid imagery and emotional depth, Mackey explores themes of apocalypse, love, and resilience, inviting readers to find hope and connection in the face of environmental destruction.
These poems capture the beauty of a world on the brink, while also celebrating the enduring power of human relationships. Perfect for readers seeking:
I received a copy of In This Burning World: Poems of Love and Apocalypse from the author, Mary Mackey, in exchange for an honest review. All opinions stated here are my own.
Poems of love and apocalypse. It seemed to me a curious combination. I had to check out this poetry collection.
True to the title, there are poems depicting both. Poems of apocalypse bring vivid images of destruction and ruin.
When Mirrors Are Reversed
When mirrors are reversed we will walk together through skeleton forests along rivers that boil like molten glass
behind us ghost panthers will stalk us through the dust of our cities gathering up our unborn children and unraveling our dreams
the skies will be filled with fish and the oceans will be filled with crows our mouths will be filled with dust and we will not drown we will smother
Poems of love evoke feelings of pleasure and contentment.
Walking Toward the Largo do Machado
when the smell of jasmine flows through the streets of Catete like a warm fog when the scent is so liquid you can breathe it in get drunk and stagger I think of all the years I have loved you and all the years I will go on loving you I think of how we protect each other from pain and betrayal how each night we wrap ourselves around each other and peace floats above our bed like a canopy of white petals
Somehow, they all fit together perfectly to form a tapestry of anticipation and hope.
A unique collection of poetry about climate change, life and love. I give This Burning World 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.
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 ARC digital copies, (she also accepts print copies). Have a book you’d like reviewed? You can request a review on the Book Review tab above.
Leopards are powerful big cats and are closely related to lions, tigers, and jaguars.
The easiest way to tell the difference between a male and a female leopard is its size. Adult males typically weigh between sixty and seventy-five kilograms and are significantly larger and broader than females.
Male leopards establish large territories covering between thirty and one hundred kilometres and have a distinctive dewlap (loose skin under the neck). The heads of male leopards are broader and larger than the heads of females. The footprints of the males are also typically larger with a more rounded outer edge to the rear pad.
Males are solitary, coming together with females for only six or seven days to mate. The territory of a single males may overlap with those of several females.
Young male leopards leave their mothers to become independent at around eighteen to twenty four months of age. Males stay with their mothers longer than females in order to fully master hunting and territorial skills before leaving to live on their own. Male leopards become dominant at between four to six years of age and usually have to fight other males for control of territory.
In South Africa, leopards generally inhabit the same areas as lions and hyenas and compete with them for food.
Male leopards live for between ten and fifteen years, provided they survive their early, vulnerable years.
Slide the bar below to see the male (first picture) and the female (second picture) leopards.
Gallery
The gallery below sets out some of the photographs I took of a male leopard.
Picture captions: The pictures in the gallery above are of a female leopard. Her kill had fallen from the tree and she was picking at the remains. She then went up the tree and was resting on a branch and cleaning herself just like a house cat. The last picture is a dead baby zebra in a tree. It was dragged up there by a leopard which then left it to go and get a drink of water. It was a very tiny zebra so a little sad but leopards have to eat.
Into the Light: Leopard – artwork
Picture caption: Into the Light: Leopard in watercolours. An original artwork by Robbie Cheadle.
Exotic Pets (Double Ennead)
The poem below is extracted from my book ‘Lion Scream‘.
Bought as exotic pets We are rescue cubs Our owner didn’t know we could never be tamed Our play is boisterous We chew everything *** Just over three months old We have all our spots And our denim-blue eyes have turned bright yellow Play fighting each other Teaches hunting skills *** Everything is brand new Exciting to us A spider in its web, an experience For our sister, who snaps, And tries to eat it
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/.
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
When two dead bodies are found oddly staged on trains across the country, the FBI realizes a serial killer is at work. FBI BAU Special Agent Caitlin Dare wants to escape her dark past and never ride a train again. But when she is assigned to spearhead the case, Caitlin realizes she will have to play cat and mouse with this diabolical killer—even if it means facing her worst childhood fears.
Come Get Me is book 1 of a brand-new series by critically acclaimed and number one best-selling mystery and suspense author Molly Black, whose books have received over 2,000 five-star reviews and ratings.
The FBI is alarmed by the rash of killings on trains throughout the country, and they realize they have to put together a joint task force to tackle it. Through a partnership with the rail police, FBI Special Agent Cailtin Dare is chosen to spearhead the new unit designed to hunt killers using trains across the country.
But Cailtin remains haunted by memories of her missing sister, her unsolved case, her erratic conductor uncle, and a harrowing fear of trains.
Can Caitlin keep her own demons at bay long enough to face her past—and catch a killer?
A harrowing crime thriller featuring a brilliant and tortured FBI agent, the Caitlin Dare series is a riveting mystery, packed with nonstop action, suspense, twists and turns, revelations, and driven by a breakneck pace that will keep you listening late into the night. Fans of Rachel Caine, Teresa Driscoll and Robert Dugoni are sure to fall in love.
My Review of Come Get Me
I purchased an audiobook copy of Come Get Me, written by Molly Black and narrated by Rosanna Pilcher through a free Chirp deal. I am offering here an honest review. All opinions stated here are my own.
I’m not sure what it was about this book, but I had a hard time relating to the character, Caitlin Dare and the story. The story line is your average murder mystery, FBI crime thriller, but nothing unusual to make it stand out in any way. There were few places where I felt an impending sense of danger to keep me on the edge of my seat as any good thriller should. I was not particularly impressed by Pilcher’s narrative skills, as the narration sounded choppy, with missed beats often. I tried varying speeds, but it did not make it any better.
Caitlin Dare is an FBI agent that tends to go rogue and break the rules to achieve her final goal; a trope that is rather cliche and predictable. She is assigned to a new railroad crime unit and a new partner, where she is faced with having to prove herself to her superiors and to herself, by earning her partners trust and solving the latest string of murders, where victims are left posed in train cars, found only after the murderer has a chance to get away.
An average crime thriller, with a sub-par narration. I give Come Get Me three 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.
_________________________________
Kaye Lynne Booth does honest book reviews on Writing to be Read in exchange for ARC digital copies, (she also accepts print copies). Have a book you’d like reviewed? You can request a review on the Book Review tab above.
