Kaye Lynne Booth's Blog: Writing to be Read, page 10
May 20, 2025
Treasuring Poetry: An interview with Michelle Ayon Navajas, curator of After Rain Skies Global Anthology and a review #TreasuringPoetry #AfterRainSkies #genderbasedviolence
Today, I am delighted to welcome Michelle Ayon Navajas, poet and curator of After Rain Skies Global Anthology, back to Treasuring Poetry.
About After Rain Skies
After Rain Skies: The Global Anthology is the third installment in the After Rain Skies series,
bringing together writers, poets, and storytellers from around the world to speak out against all
forms of abuse and violence. Each poem and prose piece is either a personal story or one that
inspired the writer—a voice raised in solidarity with those who have endured hardship. These are
raw, real stories of resilience, courage, and the search for light after darkness, told through
powerful prose and poetry.
Michelle Ayon Navajas, The Curator
Published by Michelle Ayon Navajas Publishing House
Over to Michelle!
There are two books in the After Rain Skies series. The first, After Rain Skies: A Compilation of true and inspiring stories of abuse and violence in prose and poetry, comprises of your own poetry based on your experiences speaking to victims of abuse. The second is a global anthology, with contributors from all over the world. What were your aspirations for each of these two poetry collections?It was in 2019 that I met the women of Perak Women For Women Society in Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia. I learned from them the devastating effects of abuse and violence on women and children. At that time, I was running an anonymous blog on WordPress for a while, and I thought if I could help them reach more people to amplify their cause and voice, then maybe, together, we would make a difference. I started writing about it on my blog, and I was surprised to receive emails from hundreds of women around the world sharing their stories, and those of someone they know and loved experiencing abuse and violence. It was then that the founder of PWW said, maybe we can do more than just listen and read their stories, that was when the first book was born. I’ve interviewed victims of abuse and violence and put all of their experiences in one collection written in prose and poetry. The first book was a success, it helped PWW generate funds to support their advocacy in helping distressed victims of abuse and violence, and the proceeds of the sales of the book went to the foundation. They also started receiving support from people around Malaysia. We were also able to provide immediate reading material whenever they needed to do campaign talks about abuse and violence. The book was an eye-opener for some victims who were afraid to speak up and tell their truths. More people started to speak up since then. Five years later, I’ve realized that abuse and violence are still a rampant societal problem worldwide. And so with the support of my fellow poets and bloggers, the Global anthology was born. It is aimed to amplify voices rallying against abuse and violence on a global stage coming from the experiences and perspectives of poets, writers and authors around the world.
There were two teenagers and two young adults who contributed to the global anthology. What are you hoping younger readers will gain from this collection?It seems from the contributors to the global anthology that gender-based violence is widespread. What do you see as the leading factors that contribute to this on-going issue? Do you see hope for change in the future?I was very delighted to receive submissions from Arshien Deticio, an 18-year-old Senior High School student from the Philippines, and Michael Cheadle, a 19-year-old student from South Africa. These are indications that even teenagers are becoming more aware of the effects and tragedy brought about by abuse and violence. Having the voices of young people is a great help in seeking more support from the youth. Dr. Jose Rizal, the Philippines’ National Hero, once said, “The youth is the hope of our motherland.” this is true not only to the Philippines but to the youth worldwide. They will be the hope of our world, and having youths who take part in issues and concerns about issues like abuse and violence is an assurance that our world will be in good hands.
Arshien and Michael are the representatives of the great leaders and advocates of the future. I hope these two will continue advocating for causes and issues that are pertinent to making this world a better and safer place to live.
Picture caption: a visual representation of Michelle’s interview with Arshein which you can read in full here: https://michnavs.wordpress.com/2025/03/02/arshein-deticio-for-for-after-rain-skies-the-global-anthology/
Picture caption: a visual representation of Michelle’s interview with Michael Cheadle which you can read here: https://michnavs.wordpress.com/2025/03/03/michael-cheadle-for-after-rain-skies-the-global-anthology/
My review of After Rain Skies The Global Anthology
With my experience and exposure to actual victims of abuse and violence, I’ve realized that they have one common denominator that is they are afraid to speak up because of the social stigma on victims. We as a society also lack the facility to provide immediate care to the distressed victims of abuse and violence. If we have a home for the ages, which caters to our elderly people, and an orphanage for abandoned children, maybe we can also have homes for distressed victims of abuse and violence. The number of victims skyrocketed over the years because they are afraid to speak up and afraid to report, or even seek help. And when they finally find the courage, they don’t have a safe place to go. Another aspect that I believe contributes to the rampant cases of abuse and violence is the lack of awareness and education, especially at home. Maybe it’s time we teach and raise boys not to hurt or abuse a girl or a woman, maybe it’s also time we change the family dynamics. As we all know, men who come from abusive families are highly likely to become abusive during their adult lives. And finally, there is a strong need for efficient legislation on abuse and violence. It is time for our government officials to strengthen the laws concerning abuse and violence. In the Philippines, we have the Anti-Violence Against Women and Children Act of 2004 (RA 9262). You could just imagine what happened to victims of abuse and violence in the Philippines before 2004. Their stories were forgotten. Despite this, the 2022 National Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) revealed that 17.5% of Filipino women aged 15-49 have experienced physical, sexual, or emotional violence from their intimate partners. Why? Because the law itself has so many loopholes. The abusers can just easily get away, especially if they have the power and the money. And I am sure this is also true for the rest of the world.
I know that we have a long way to go in the battle against abuse and violence, but with our collective voices, we will make a difference.
After Rain Skies is an incredible collection of strong voices crying out against abuse in all its forms. There are contributions from countries all across the planet, reminding me that abuse is alive and well everywhere, from the most developed countries to the least developed. The poems involve a variety of different settings and are not exclusive to one sex which reinforced my own views and experiences never to judge people as you don’t know what their circumstances and life obstacles where and continue to be.
Every poem in this collection resonated with me even though I have not personally suffered many of the abuses shared. I have seen it in the world around me, read about it, and can feel it. While all the poems are incredible, visual, and powerful, there are a few that have stayed with me.
Extracts from three poems that really ate into my heart and soul:
“Father said
For because I am selfish
I shall make you want
For because I am angry
I shall make you timid
For why should you, my son
Benefit from the ability to love yourself
When I have not”
From In My Image by Michael L. Utley
“at 31, she just wants to be present for herself.
Sometimes, she feels selfish for it, but being
everything to everyone has drained her. she longs
for a break, a moment of solitude in silence”
From At 31 by Scarlet Rose
“Women, you don’t need to walk around broken.
Pick up every piece that’s been snatch away from you.
Every piece that’s been stolen.
Every piece that’s been smashed to pieces.
Search for them, find them and put them back where they belong.”
From Fine Piece of China by Martha Gloria Byng-Cornwell
Purchase After Rain Skies from Amazon US here: https://www.amazon.com/After-Rain-Skies-Global-Anthology-ebook/dp/B0DZPD4LL2
About Michelle Ayon Navajas
Picture caption: Banner of Michelle Ayon Navajas featuring a selection of her booksMichelle Ayon Navajas (born June 23, 1976) is a Filipino poet, writer, and educator. She is a Best-Selling international Poet known for her books reaching the #1 spot within days of their release. Her 8th poetry book, “I Am In Itself Poetry In The Dark,” went straight to the top of both the best-sellers list and new releases on Amazon on short notice. Her 7th poetry book, “It Ain’t Winning If Without You,” went straight to the best-sellers list on Amazon in less than 24 hours of release by pre-orders alone and eventually became the number Poetry Book on Amazon India on its actual release day, soon after the book rose to the best- sellers list as well in all other Amazon Markets worldwide.
Currently, Michelle holds the title of having 4 books published in a row to have made it to Amazon’s Best-Sellers List (“I Will Love You Forever, Too,” “After Rain Skies, 2nd Edition,” “It Ain’t Winning If Without You,” and “I Am In Itself Poetry In The Dark”) and 3 books on Amazon’s #1Hot New Releases/New Releases (“I Will Love You Forever, Too,” “It Ain’t Winning If Without You,” and “I Am In Itself Poetry In The Dark”.)
Her poetry appeared in several international literary magazines and anthologies such as Spillwords NYC, MasticadoresUsa, and MasticadoresIndia. Her poems “Holding Hands” was voted as Spillwords Publication of the Month for November 2021 and “Love Happens” was voted as Spillwords Publication of the Month for December 2022.
She is also part of the award-winning ensemble of authors in two Poetry Anthologies, that are both Amazon Best-Sellers: Hidden In Childhood and Wounds I Healed.
Graduated with a Master of Education majoring in English in the Philippines (University of San Agustin, Iloilo City). Michelle was a former college professor, teaching literature, speech & oral communication, creative writing, drama, and theatre arts. She is also a graduate of Mass Communications major in Journalism (Centro Escolar University, Manila).
Michelle is active in her writing profession and works as a freelance creative writer.
Follow her online:
About Robbie Cheadle
Picture caption: Robbie Cheadle author pictureSouth 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.
Get Your Copy Today!
Poetry Treasures: https://books2read.com/PoetryTreasures
Poetry Treasures 2: Relationships: https://books2read.com/PT2-Relationships
Poetry Treasures 3: Passions: https://books2read.com/u/b5qnBR
Poetry Treasures 4:In Touch With Nature: https://books2read.com/PT4-Nature
May 19, 2025
Review in Practice: “Get Your Book Selling Wide”
In this book, you’ll find:
The five main strategies for going wide in ebook and how authors decideAll the places you can go wide across multiple formats—print, ebook, audiobook, and more—and the benefits and downsides of eachThe general strategies authors use to make money while having their books wide (and why they work or don’t work on various platforms)This book also covers the book industry as a whole from the perspective of an independent author. It answers questions like:
What are the market factors that matter amongst some of the biggest players in the industry?What devices are important to pay attention to and how do those affect the ebook, print, and audiobook markets?How does global ecommerce play a role in shaping the future of the book industry?This book is meant to be a detailed overview of what going wide really means as an independent career author.
Purchase Link: https://www.amazon.com/Get-Your-Book-Selling-Wide-ebook/dp/B0917BYZPV/
I received a copy of Get Your Book Selling Wide through an offer in author Monica Leonelle’s Newsletter. All opinions stated here are my own. One of the best things about this book though, is the fact that it is always permafree, which means you too can get a free copy at the purchase link above.
You can read my review of
I’ve often mentioned that I am a wide author, which means I publish WordCrafter Press books on as many platforms as possible, and in as many formats as I can. I’m not a fan of exclusivity. It doesn’t make much sense to me to put all my eggs in one basket. So, it will come as no surprise to most of you that this book would be of interest to me.
Monica Leonelle has put together a comprehensive volume that explains what it means to be a wide author, and goes over several of the marketing platforms, and the different formats in which your books can be offered, as well as different types of marketing strategies for the different formats.
I be looking particularly at the pricing and marketing strategies for my print books, which are areas where I feel I have been lacking. The book industry is changing quickly and for an author to survive and be noticed above the competition, the author mindset must adjust to those changes. Digital and print books are two different beasts when it comes to marketing, with different target audiences. It only makes sense that you must reach out to those audiences in different ways.
I was also interested to learn that the pricing strategy for traditionally published books does not work so well for independent authors. Leonelle claims that independently published print books need to be priced slightly higher than traditionally published books in order for authors to make a decent profit.
I found the information on pre-orders and the discussion about their durations to be useful. I’ll be taking Leonelle’s advice under consideration in the future. The timing of pre-orders is an area I have struggled with in the past. My release of Poetry Treasures 5: Simple Pleasures missed the pre-order altogether and was released early. Obviously, an area where I can hone my skills as I continue to try and get it right.
About Kaye Lynne Booth
For Kaye Lynne Booth, writing is a passion. Kaye Lynne is an author with published short fiction and poetry, both online and in print, including her short story collection, Last Call and Other Short Fiction; and her paranormal mystery novella, Hidden Secrets; Books 1 & 2 of her Women in the West adventure series, Delilah and Sarah, and her Time-Travel Adventure novel, The Rock Star & The Outlaw,as well as her poetry collection, Small Wonders and The D.I.Y. Author writing resource. Kaye holds a dual M.F.A. degree in Creative Writing with emphasis in genre fiction and screenwriting, and an M.A. in publishing. Kaye Lynne is the founder of WordCrafter Quality Writing & Author Services and WordCrafter Press. She also maintains an authors’ blog and website, Writing to be Read, where she publishes content of interest in the literary world.
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Did you know you can sponsor your favorite blog series or even a single post with an advertisement for your book? Stop by the WtbR Sponsor Page and let me advertise your book, or you can make a donation to Writing to be Read for as little as a cup of coffee, If you’d like to show your support for this author and WordCrafter Press.
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This segment of “Review in Practice” 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 June, 2025
May 18, 2025
May 16, 2025
Book Review: “Touch of the Mage”
About Touch of the Mage
Life at the academy just got… messy.
I’ve always dreamed of getting into a top college, but after a stint in juvie, my school prospects went sideways fast. Now I work at a magic academy…as a janitor. Ironic, right?
Okay, so maybe I get a kick out of secretly solving the arcane equations the professors leave on the board for the rich, entitled student wizards. I’m broke, not stupid.
Except then I get caught by the hottest mage on campus…who ropes me into helping him and his three equally gorgeous friends win a decidedly screwed-up magic competition.
Easy enough, I think—until I start setting things on fire and getting chased by smoke-faced monsters and fighting side by side with four of the sexiest, most powerful wizards ever…and find myself—just maybe—falling in love…
With all of them.
Whoops.
Purchase Link: https://www.amazon.com/Touch-Mage-Boston-Magic-Academies-ebook/dp/B0CR9JNRNF/
My Review of Touch of the MageI received a free digital copy of Touch of the Mage, by Jennifer Chance through ( ). All opinions stated here are my own.
Touch of the Mage is a new adult academy romance, and book 1 of Jennifer Chance’s Twyst Academy series. Although I’ve heard of the new adult category, I’m not sure I’ve read one before. The characters have the same hopes and dreams as those in a young adult book, but there’s more emphasis on romance story lines and adult language is acceptable in new adult literature.
As book 1 in the series, this tale does a great job of introducing the main characters and laying out the rules of the world where Twyst Academy exists. It gives the reader just enough to know that all is not as it should be and wanting to see what else awaits. And after all, isn’t that what a series starters should do?
Believing her special talents to be a curse that she doesn’t know how to control, Maddigan Pierce just tries to get by in life by blending into the woodwork as a janitor, and becoming invisible to the students and faculty of Twyst Academy, where talented witches and wizards are thinned down to the best of the best.
But once Connor notices her, she finds herself bonded with a group of four of Twyst’s most promising wizards, and she’s throwing flames and battling beside the four hottest wizards on campus in the Mage Trials.
But, fighting magical foes isn’t the least of her problems, as Maddigan finds herself attracted to all four of her new teammates, with feelings that may be heightened due to their bonding.
Touch of the Mage is a fun and entertaining story that will leave you wanting more. The perfect series starters. I give it five quills.
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Kaye Lynne Booth does honest book reviews on Writing to be Read in exchange for ARCs. Have a book you’d like reviewed? You can request a review on the Book Review tab above.
May 13, 2025
Read and Cook with Robbie Cheadle – The Willows by Algernon Blackwood and Speculaas Cake with Raspberry and Butterscotch a la Robbie #baking #bookreview #fiction
This month, my featured book is The Willows by Algernon Blackwood. This book was recommended to me by talented author, Audrey Driscoll. You can find Audrey on her blog here: https://audreydriscoll.com/2025/05/11/one-book-two-books-three-or-more/
The Willows is the story of two friends, the narrator and his companion, called ‘the Swede”, who embark on a canoe journey down the Danube River. As they approach an isolated region, they are warned by the locals to turn back, but they continue, believing the locals to be superstitious peasants. Their adventure quickly turns from an ordinary camping trip into a confrontation with an ancient, elemental force that appears to have been awakened by their intruding into its remote and peaceful territory.
The force that besieges the canoers remains mysterious and undefined throughout the story, thereby heightening the tension and creepiness especially as the two men’s perceptions of what they are seeing and experiencing differ.
This difference in perception is illustrated by the following short extract:
““Good heavens, it’s a man’s body!” he cried excitedly. “Look!”
A black thing, turning over and over in the foaming waves, swept rapidly past. It kept disappearing and coming up to the surface again. It was about twenty feet from the shore, and just as it was opposite to where we stood it lurched round and looked straight at us. We saw its eyes reflecting the sunset, and gleaming an odd yellow as the body turned over. Then it gave a swift, gulping plunge, and dived out of sight in a flash.
“An otter, by gad!” we exclaimed in the same breath, laughing.”
The narrator describes himself as being the more imaginative of the pair and rather included to overdramatise situations. The Swede is depicted as a pragmatic and sensible fellow with little to no imagination. As the story progresses, however, the Swede is the first of the pair to acknowledge that there are strange and unnatural forces at play. This narrator is the one who attempts to explain away all the peculiar things that are happening.
The bread goes missing and the narrator tries to explain it away as follows:
““How criminally stupid of me!” I cried, still determined to be consistent and find an explanation. “I clean forgot to buy a loaf at Pressburg. That chattering woman put everything out of my head, and I must have left it lying on the counter or –“
“The oatmeal, too, is much less than it was this morning,” the Swede interrupted.a
Why in the world need he draw attention to it? I thought angrily.”
This role reversal and the narrator’s increasing agitation amid desperate attempts to explain away all the mysteries adds to the dread.
This story is very unsettling and at the end, the reader is left unsure whether any strange occurrences actually took place or whether the creepy surroundings and natural elements like the wind and water unsettled the pairs minds to an extent that they imagined the entire episode. This sense of uncertainty by the reader is created by paragraphs such as the following:
“And, apart quite from the elements, the willows connected themselves subtly with my malaise, attacking the mind insidiously somehow by reason of their vast numbers, and contriving in some way or other to represent to the imagination a new and mighty power, a power, moreover, not altogether friendly to us.”
An extraordinary novella that will appeal to readers of dark psychological horror stories that expose how reason and sense can be worn down by terror.
You can download The Willows by Algernon Blackwood here: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/11438
Picture caption: Algernon Blackwood’s The Willows by https://www.deviantart.com/mgkellermeyer on @DeviantArtSpeculaas Cake with Raspberry and Butterscotch a la RobbieI found a recipe for this cake in a magazine. I liked the idea but preferred my own spice cake recipe. The recipes below are the result of my experimenting.
German Spice Cake recipePrepare two cake tins, one slightly smaller than the other. Line the bottoms with baking paper and use a non-stick spray for the sides.
Picture caption: My two German spice cakes after they came out of the ovenPre-heat the oven to 180 C.
Ingredients
1 kilogram cake flour
10 ml salt
320 ml castor sugar
6 ml bicarbonate of soda
20 ml baking powder
10 ml ground cinnamon
10 ml ground ginger
5 ml ground cloves
5 ml ground black pepper
5 ml ground nutmeg
250 grams butter
350 ml golden syrup
160 ml hot water
2 egggs
300 ml double thick yogurt
Method
Sieve all the dry ingredients together into a mixing bowl. Heat the butter, syrup and water together until everything is melted. Beat the eggs and add to the yogurt. Mix into the dry ingredients and then add the butter mixture. Mix until all the lumps are gone.
Bake for 45 – 60 minutes until a cake tester comes out clean.
Picture caption: My final decorated Speculaas cake with Raspberry and ButterscotchThe Raspberry icingIngredients
200 grams frozen raspberries
30 ml lemon juice
400 grams icing sugar, sifted (confectioners sugar)
200 grams butter
Method
Place the frozen raspberries in a pot with the lemon juice and simmer until you have a pulp (about 10 minutes). Strain the mixture to remove the raspberry seeds and pulp. Beat the icing sugar into the softened butter until smooth. Add the raspberry juice and beat until completely combined. Refrigerate until soft but solid.
Butterscotch icingIngredients
250 grams full-cream smooth cream cheese
250 grams tinned caramel
Beat the caramel and the cream cheese until smooth.
AssemblyI used the raspberry icing to stick the two cakes together, the smaller cake on top of the bigger cake. I then layered the butterscotch icing over the top and along the front and back of the two cakes leaving gaps at the sides. Where the two cakes joined, I used icing to fill the gap and make the icing smooth. I then layered the raspberry icing along the sides of the cakes, filling the gaps. I decorated my cake with Easter eggs.
May 12, 2025
Everyone is a Critic: “The Last Stop in Yuma County”
When I noticed The Last Stop in Yuma County (2023), my first thought was that it sounds like a western, but the image on the cover indicated something else. Set in a 1970s Arizona diner, this fast paced crime drama that ratchets up the tension with every passing moment, keeping you on the edge of your seat throughout. Filled with a plethora of twists and turns, and plenty of surprises.
When a traveling knife salesman, (Jim Cummings), pulls in to the last stop in Yuma County, he is stranded at the diner waiting for a fuel tanker that will never come. The waitress, (Jocelin Donahue), serves up coffee and he bids his time, anxious to get going to spend his daughter’s birthday with her. Things heat up when they are joined by two bank robbers, (Richard Brakes and Nicholas Logan), with an empty tank and hair triggers, and each new patron who comes in adds a new complication. It seems everyone has a gun, and it is anybody’s guess what will happen next.
Although psychological thriller takes place mostly in the diner, the tension is more than enough to make you keep watching. Thoroughly enjoyable. This is one that you’ll never guess the ending.
About Kaye Lynne Booth
For Kaye Lynne Booth, writing is a passion. Kaye Lynne is an author with published short fiction and poetry, both online and in print, including her short story collection, Last Call and Other Short Fiction; and her paranormal mystery novella, Hidden Secrets; Books 1 & 2 of her Women in the West adventure series, Delilah and Sarah, and her Time-Travel Adventure novel, The Rock Star & The Outlaw,as well as her poetry collection, Small Wonders and The D.I.Y. Author writing resource. Kaye holds a dual M.F.A. degree in Creative Writing with emphasis in genre fiction and screenwriting, and an M.A. in publishing. Kaye Lynne is the founder of WordCrafter Quality Writing & Author Services and WordCrafter Press. She also maintains an authors’ blog and website, Writing to be Read, where she publishes content of interest in the literary world.
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Did you know you can sponsor your favorite blog series or even a single post with an advertisement for your book? Stop by the WtbR Sponsor Page and let me advertise your book, or you can make a donation to Writing to be Read for as little as a cup of coffee, If you’d like to show your support for this author and WordCrafter Press.
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This segment of “Chatting with New Blood” 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 May, 2025
May 9, 2025
Book Review: “Weeping Boughs Don’t Break”
About Weeping Boughs Don’t Break
A vow broken. A covenant shattered. A duty she can’t escape.
Claudia Abruzzo expected her mid-life crisis to begin when her kids left for college and culminate in a trip around the world when her husband retired. Instead, it started with Leo divorcing her for a woman young enough to be their daughter, and there was no end in sight to her heartbreak.
Five years later, the only change is her last name—back to Valenti. She still lives in the same memory-filled house in the same tiny town with the same financial and emotional struggles since losing her partner. While she doesn’t miss her ex, she does miss being married. She’d meant it when she’d said for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness or health, and forsaking all others.
Leo had meant none of it, especially the forsaking part.
Now, his life is on the line and he—as well as his family—expects her to uphold her vows.
Crises of conscience, faith, and family test the flimsy tether of resolve that kept her moored when her life blew apart. Leo is forcing her into another no-win situation, and this time, when her world inevitably explodes, she might not have the strength to pick up the pieces.
Purchase Link: https://www.amazon.com/Weeping-Boughs-Break-Staci-Troilo-ebook/dp/B0F3Q4T2JQ
My Review of Weeping Boughs Don’t BreakI requested and received a digital copy of Weeping Boughs Don’t Break from author Staci Troilo in exchange for an honest review. All opinions stated here are my own.
This book affected me on a personal level, speaking to women and the strengths which are not always seen, especially not by the woman herself. When responsibility and the stresses of life overwhelm us, it feels like the world is crashing in on us and we can’t bear anymore. While others may see our amazing strengths in the trials of life, we don’t feel strong inside.
That’s how it was after my son was taken from me at the age of nineteen, when those around me claimed that I was the strength that held my family together, even as I felt my life crumbling around me. It was a time when family gather, which means dealing with all the people with whom I had a history, and while each came to lend support, they all had their own perspectives and thoughts on how things should proceed. At times, I felt pulled in several different directions, like Gumby, but not nearly as flexible. I remember thinking that I needed someone to stop the world from spinning and let me off.
That is without a doubt the biggest tragedy I have ever experienced, but I’ve had my share of lesser tragedies that brought me down to the lowest of lows, where it was a struggle just to face each day. We all have tragedies, big and small, that assault our emotions and mess with our heads. This story was a reminder of how strong we, as women, can be when they must.
For Claudia, who never learned to say “no” to anyone, even when those demands of others are totally unreasonable, and she tends to push her own needs to the back of the line, pushing those who care for her away unintentionally.But, when her manipulative and emotionally abusive ex-husband begins demanding of her after five long, painful years following their divorce, her emotions are stirred and the lines are blurred, and she doesn’t know how much more she can take. As a reader, Claudia’s strengths are apparent, and those who care about her see it, as well. But, there are events which Claudia hasn’t yet dealt with, which she must, if she is to ever fully heal, and that involves being honest with herself.
The realization that Trace sees something in her which she doesn’t see herself, comes as a shock, but to think he might be serious about her forces her to face her demons and her inner strength shines through.
Troilo manages to touch chords many women are familiar with and will relate to easily. It made me look at my own inner strengths as the character discovers strength which she never knew was there. I give Weeping Boughs Don’t Break five quills.
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Kaye Lynne Booth does honest book reviews on Writing to be Read in exchange for ARCs. Have a book you’d like reviewed? You can request a review on the Book Review tab above.
May 7, 2025
Lindsey’s Writing Practice: FOCUS on the IMAGE
FOCUS on the IMAGE
As many of you may have gleaned from last month’s exercise, the IMAGE remains essential to create captivating writing in poetry, fiction, and creative non-fiction works.
Then, you made descriptions more “concrete” by focusing on details. In a similar vein, an image must contain details using some or most of the five senses: sight, sound, smell, touch, and taste to make that image “hook” the reader.
Thus, for this month’s workshop, pull out a pen and one of your journals (or sheets of paper), and either close your eyes or look out a window (or depending upon the weather, venture outside). Closely study some IMAGE—something that “calls” you
Your image may suggest a location, for example, a Colorado, Oregon, New York, or Missouri scene without naming it: With a jutting cliff, a rosebud blossom, dogwood, or aspen bloom, a red leaf, a crow on a bare branch or a group of them on telephone lines, a hummingbird poking its long beak into a tulip bloom, or an eagle soaring above.
And AVOID abstractions: For this exercise, write “No ideas but in [concrete] things” (William Carlos Williams). Speaking of whom, here’s one of his well-known poems for inspiration:
THIS IS JUST TO SAY
I have eaten
the plums
that were in
the icebox
and which
your were probably
saving
for breakfast
Forgive me
they were delicious
so sweet
About Lindsey Martin-BowenOn Halloween 2023, redbat books released Lindsey Martin-Bowen’s 7th poetry collection, CASHING CHECKS with Jim Morrison. Her 4th 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) one of the Ten Top Poetry Books of 2008. It was nominated for a Pen Award.
Her poems have run in numerous lit mags, including New Letters, I-70 Review, Thorny Locust, Coal City Review, Silver Birch Press, Flint Hills Review, The Same, Phantom Drift, Porter Gulch Review, Rockhurst Review, 21 anthologies. She taught lit & writing at UMKC & MCC 25 years, and taught law for Blue Mountain College in Pendleton, Oregon. She holds an MA from the U of Mo. and a JD degree from the UMKC Law School. Previously, she was reporter for The Louisville Times and The SUN Newspapers, an associate editor for Modern Jeweler Magazine and the editor for The National Paralegal Reporter.
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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.
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May 5, 2025
Writer’s Corner: Drawing on Experience
When I was a little girl, I had a recurring nightmare about spiders. There were thousands of them coming out of the woodwork in my grandparent’s house. I would try to run away from them, tearing up the stairs and into the bedroom I shared with my mother hoping that she could save me. But she couldn’t, and the spiders just kept coming until mom and I were both standing on our beds and there was no where else to go. Then, I would always wake up with my heart racing.
That dream stuck with me, and I’ve always had a fear of spiders. Somehow, I always knew that my nightmare would end up in a story one day. Put it together with a couple of creepy encounter, which involved actually watching a black widow’s egg sac hatch as a teen, and another quite recently, and wouldn’t you know it. Spiders found their way into the short story I’ve been writing for the Curses anthology.
The story is titled “Death Clock”, and it’s about, you guessed it, a cursed clock. But as I wrote, I didn’t feel like the atmosphere and mood was hitting the mark. I had a very creepy experience with real spiders, which brought my nightmare to the forefront of my mind and it suddenly hit me, that spiders was what this story needed. I wrote them into the story in two different scenes with the spiders and the story just came to life.
It’s not the first time I’ve drawn on real life experiences as fodder for my stories. My not so short story, “Terror on a Mountain Trail” (Last Call and Other Short Fiction, 2020), is based on a true life experience I had when I was up trail riding on my ATV and was attacked. My children’s book, Charlie Chickadee Finds a New Home (2024) was inspired by a group pf swallows that swarmed in and chased a family of chick-a-dees from their nest in a tree in my front yard. My short story, “Woman in the Water” (Whispers of the Past, 2019),was inspired by a real setting as I sat on the rocks above a waterfall one day. And of course, it’s no secret that I write a lot of historical fiction, which revolves around the true life experiences of others which I experience vicariously through my research.
In fact, “Death Clock” is based on the true history of Ormulu clocks, bronze gilded clocks made in the sixteenth century through a process that involved using mercury to bond the gold to the bronze, which killed or drove many clockmakers insane before it was finally prohibited by law. And the second story I’m writing for the Curses anthology, “Caverna Del Oro (Cave of Gold)”, is based on the legend of a cursed cave in the Sangre de Cristo mountains, near Westcliffe, Colorado. As a native Coloradoan, I have hiked in many of these mountains, and although I haven’t actually been on Marble Mountain, where the cave of gold is located, my own experiences exploring the Colorado mountains are interwoven into that story, as well.
I’m sure other writers do something similar in their writing processes. What kinds of experiences find their way into your writing?
About Kaye Lynne BoothFor Kaye Lynne Booth, writing is a passion. Kaye Lynne is an author with published short fiction and poetry, both online and in print, including her short story collection, Last Call and Other Short Fiction; and her paranormal mystery novella, Hidden Secrets; Books 1 & 2 of her Women in the West adventure series, Delilah and Sarah, and her Time-Travel Adventure novel, The Rock Star & The Outlaw,as well as her poetry collection, Small Wonders and The D.I.Y. Author writing resource.
Kaye holds a dual M.F.A. degree in Creative Writing with emphasis in genre fiction and screenwriting, and an M.A. in publishing. Kaye Lynne is the founder of WordCrafter Quality Writing & Author Services and WordCrafter Press. She also maintains an authors’ blog and website, Writing to be Read, where she publishes content of interest in the literary world.
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Did you know you can sponsor your favorite blog series or even a single post with an advertisement for your book? Stop by the WtbR Sponsor Page and let me advertise your book, or you can make a donation to Writing to be Read for as little as a cup of coffee, If you’d like to show your support for this author and WordCrafter Press.
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This 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.
May 1, 2025
“Poetry Treasures 5: Small Pleasures” is Everywhere I Look
I’m thrilled to announce that Poetry Treasures 5: Small Pleasures made the list of Best New Poetry /anthologies on Amazon. This is the fifth year that WordCrafter Press has published a Poetry Treasures anthology, but the first time we’ve made this list, so it really tickled me to learn this. We have a great group of poets this year and an uplifting topic for the theme. Below are links where information about Poetry Treasures 5: Small Pleasures can be found. I hope you’ll check it out.
Check out all the places you’ll find Poetry Treasures 5: Small Pleasures.
3.https://thebharatnow.com/poetry-treasures-5-small-pleasures-available-worldwide/
4.https://thecovermagazine.com/poetry-treasures-5-small-pleasures-available-worldwide/
5.https://theindianmirror.com/poetry-treasures-5-small-pleasures-available-worldwide/
6.https://theindianmirror.com/poetry-treasures-5-small-pleasures-available-worldwide/
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