Kaye Lynne Booth's Blog: Writing to be Read, page 33

Book Review: The Blended Lives Chronicles: Sides of the Order

About the Book

Lady Laya MoonWalker is a well respected journalist and magazine owner and a high priestess in the magickal community. After a drawn-out battle with the forces of dark magik, she has come into her own. She lives and works on Planet Korponious, where she is the owner and creator of an Interplanetary Magazine called “Blended Lives Chronicles.” Her mission is to blend the lines of race, creed, and disability that separate so many and to elevate the recognition of the training and ability of Service Animals of all kinds to a new level. She has just been accepted into the Blended Lives Federation and now hopes to continue her work in a way like nothing known to her before.

Laya has created a lot of wreckage along the way through her dark journey into the light, and now she wishes to set this to right. She has just received her best break ever. Frank Prince, the CEO of The Blended Lives Learning Center, has invited her to the Celtic New Year Convention and Witches Ball as a reporter to write a story on the progress of The Blended Lives Planetary Federation. She will be their guest speaker at the opening ceremonies.

When Laya arrives at the Celtic Convention, she finds herself face to face with an old and dear friend, Blended Lives Learning Center Instructor and member of the Order of the Night, Derrick Gibbous. As they begin to connect, causing old sparks to reignite, they are tossed into a nasty battle from which not everyone will escape. People are not as they seem, and not everyone supports the side for which they appear to work.

As their love for one another grows, so does the battle. Despite everything, Laya and Derrick are determined to see their work to unite beings of all kinds succeed.

Purchase Link: https://www.amazon.com/Blended-Lives-Chronicles-Sides-Order/dp/B0CPWDZHPZ/

My Review

I was blessed with a print copy of this story, which is like Dark Shadows meets V: The Final Battle, where nothing is as it seems – Blended Lives: The Sides of the Order, by Patty L. Fletcher. Fletcher has created a seemingly inclusive world where there is magik for everyone, or so it seems. But there is conflict behind closed doors. Not everyone in this society of secrets wants equality and all is not as it appears.

Magazine owner and high priestess, Laya Moonwalker, begins to uncover the truth and becomes a risk to the order, placing her at risk. There are some members of the order who will stop at nothing to keep their secret from being revealed. But who can she trust? She wants desperately to trust the one she loves, Derrick Gibbeous. She needs to believe that he is not involved with the treachery she finds herself caught up in, and that he will do everything within his considerable powers to keep her safe.

The book does have a few P.O.V. problems which can be confusing and pull the reader out of the story, so I give it four quills.

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Kaye Lynne Booth does honest book reviews on Writing to be Read in exchange for ARCs. Have a book you’d like reviewed? You can request a review on the Book Review tab above.

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This post sponsored by WordCrafter Quality Writing & Author Services.

Whether it’s editing, publishing, or promotion that you need, WordCrafter Quality Writing & Services can help at a price you can afford.

Stop by and see what we have to offer today: https://writingtoberead.com/readings-for-writers/wordcrafter-quality-writing-author-services/

The Doors of Cripple Creek, Colorado #ThursdayDoors

Johnny Nolan’s Casino

I’ve been going through my Cripple Creek photos because I wanted to make my own “Thursday Doors” post. Inspired by all the doors featured on Dan Antion’s No Facilities blog site.

Far from being a ghost town, as many of the mining communities in Colorado have become today, the town of Cripple Creek is teaming with live bodies of both locals and tourists. Cripple Creek is a historic mining town and they’ve kept much of the original buildings and architecture. Today, Cripple Creek is one several places in Colorado where gambling is legal, and new buildings are also required to follow the historic motif.

The Doors of Maggie’s Place Resturaunt Corner Doors, Palace Hotel Front Doors of Outlaws & Lawmen Jail Museum Cellblock door – Outlaws & Lawmen Jail Museum Door to solitary cell (right) – when closed the cell is pitch black & very scary Outhouse on display at Cripple Creek District Museum Old Phone Booth on display at Cripple Creek District Museum Office Door on display at Cripple Creek District MuseumFun & Interesting Facts About Cripple Creek, ColoradoIt’s said that Cripple Creek got its name when a miner’s horse was crippled walking through a stream when it was a big cattle ranching community, before gold was discovered in 1890 by a man named Bob Womack.It has also been said that Bob Womack and his family named it after Cripple Creek, Virginia, near their hometown in Kentucky, but I think the first explanation is more colorful.Cripple Creek was the destination of Colorado’s last big gold rush spurred in 1891.In 1894, the small mining town of Cripple Creek boasted a population of 6,000 residents and had over 150 active mines, producing over three million dollars. They had four newspapers, five churches, and more than 300 prostitutes.The population of Cripple Creek reached 10,000 in 1896. In April of that year, fire spread through the town built of wooden structures, not once but twice. The first fire ravaged the towns main business district on April 25th, in spite of the town’s heroic efforts to stop the blaze and about a quarter of the homes and businesses of the town were lost. Just as they began to rebuild and try to recover, on April 29th, a second fire swept through the town. With firefighting resources exhausted by the first fire, firefighters resorting to blasting buildings with dynamite in an attempt to halt the spread of the blaze, flattening most of the business district and half of the homes. For this reason, They rebuilt the town, but new businesses were banned from building with wood so brick was used, which wouldn’t burn as easily as wood, even replacing the wooden boardwalks with brick sidewalks which are there to this day.At it’s height the Teller County mining district as a whole had a population of between 30,000 and 50,000 residents, and over 500 active mines, which had already produced over $77 million dollars in gold ore.The Old Homestead House was a high-end brothel, run by the infamous Madam, Pearl DeVere. Clients went through a rigorous application process, including scrutinization of their finances. If a applicant didn’t have at a million dollars in the bank, they weren’t granted an appointment. Clients were granted entry by appointment only, and the girls were paid well for their services. Prostitution wasn’t a legal occupation, but the law had to look the other way or the town would have forfeited the ample money paid in taxes and fees by the soiled doves and bordello proprieters.Cripple Creek is one of the few boomtowns of the 1800s to continue productive mining operations today. The Cripple Creek & Victor Mine is now run by is now run by Newmont and continues to produce generous amounts of over 100,000 of gold and silver each year, employing 500 employees.Cripple Creek is in one of three historical districts in Colorado where gambling has been legal since 1989. Today they have over twelve casinos which generate money which provides revenue to preserve important historic buildings.

Growing Bookworms – Sir Chocolate hosts a fashion show #cakeart #fondantart #growingbookworms

Talented poem, Merril Smith, gave me the idea for this Sir Chocolate hosts a fashion show post with her poem Changing Styles. Thank you, Merril.

Sir Chocolate decides to host a fashion show. All the villagers can come and show off their choice of outfit.

This is the stage:

Picture caption: Sir Chocolate’s stage made from chocolate. Witch Goodie’s cat is sleeping on top.

Sir Chocolate is round and fat,
he wears a waistcoat and brown top hat,
Lady Sweet wears a stripy skirt and top,
She looks just like a lollipop.
Introduction to Sir Chocolate and Lady Sweet from Sir Chocolate and the strawberry cream berries story and cookbook.

Picture caption: Sir Chocolate in his brown top hat. Picture caption: Lady Sweet with her two Nougat Clown friends in their tall, pointed hats

For the fashion show, Sir Chocolate buys a new hat.

Picture caption: Sir Chocolate gets a new hat – a limerick, extract from Sir Chocolate and the Missing Christmas Harp

Lady Sweet can’t decide with bag and shoes to wear for the show:

Handbag modelled from cake

Picture caption: Fashion Love – a limerick, extract from Sir Chocolate and the Chinese Candy Dragon

Merinda arrives in her new fairy ballroom gown.

Picture caption: You can learn how to make this doll cake in Silly Willy Goes To Cape Town

Silly Willy loves his new Peter Pan costume.

Picture caption: Silly Willy models his Peter Pan costume

Lady Drama is very dramatic with her huge pink beehive hairstyle.

Picture caption: Lady Drama models her new hairstyle. You can read my illustrated children’s story featuring Lady Drama here: https://alwayswrite.blog/2023/12/05/y3-story-chat-5-sir-stealthy-and-the-jewellery-thieves-by-robbie-michael-cheadle/

Lastly, the Valentine Toffee Cupid arrives. He isn’t wearing anything at all …

Picture caption: The Valentine Toffee Cupid from Sir Chocolate and the Valentine Toffee Cupid

I’ve shared my cupid made from toffee for Resa who reminded me of this cute little guy when she posted her Baby Angel with a Heart street art post.

The show ends with a delightful song by Queen Filigree (from Sally Cronin’s Tales from the Irish Garden).

Picture caption: Queen Filigree sings a beautiful song to end the fashion show

About Robbie Cheadle

Award-winning, bestselling author, Robbie Cheadle, has published fifteen children’s book and three poetry books. Her work has also appeared in poetry and short story anthologies.

Robbie also has two novels published under the name of Roberta Eaton Cheadle and has horror, paranormal, and fantasy short stories featured in several anthologies under this name.

The eleven Sir Chocolate children’s picture books, co-authored by Robbie and Michael Cheadle, are written in sweet, short rhymes which are easy for young children to follow and are illustrated with pictures of delicious cakes and cake decorations. Each book also includes simple recipes or biscuit art directions which children can make under adult supervision.

Robbie and Michael’s new Southern African Safari Adventures series is aimed at teaching young children about Southern African wildlife in a fun and entertaining way. Each book contains a rhyming verse story about a particular animal, as well as illustrations by Robbie Cheadle, photographs and links to video footage about that animal.

Robbie’s blog includes recipes, fondant and cake artwork, poetry, and book reviews. https://robbiesinspiration.wordpress.com/

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Want to be sure not to miss any of Robbie’s “Growing Bookworms” segments? Subscribe to Writing to be Read for e-mail notifications whenever new content is posted or follow WtbR on WordPress. If you found it interesting or entertaining, please share.

My Backyard Friends – Available for Pre-Order Now!

The first three books in the My Backyard Friends kid’s book series are available for pre-order in digital format now!

Don’t miss these fantastic new kid’s books inspired by the birds and animals which visit me at my mountain home, and brought to life in the vivid illustrations of Robbie Cheadle.

Meet Heather Hummingbird

Heather Hummingbird Makes a New Friend is a picture book with a message of  friendship and cooperation. (Ages 3-5)

Heather Hummingbird and Ethan Eagle are two unlikely friends who discover that it is good to accept help from others and that is what friends are for.

Pre-Order Now: https://books2read.com/u/471vzj

Meet Timothy Turtle

Timothy Turtle Discovers Jellybeans is a picture book with a moral message from a young turtle’s perspective. (Ages 3-5)

Meet Timothy Turtle, who has a sweet tooth. He eats too many jelly beans and finds himself in a pickle. His friends Katy Cat and Betsy Beaver try to help, and Timothy learns that you can get too much of a good thing.

Pre-Order Now: https://books2read.com/u/3LL5K7

Meet Charlie Chickadee

Charlie Chickadee Gets a New Home is a story of survival from a young bird’s perspective. (Ages 6-8)

Charlie Chickadee is happy with his family in their cozy nest. But whem the violet-green swallows thake the nest for their own, Charlie finds himself alone, seperated from his parents and on his own to face the dangers of the forest. His new friend Nicholas Nuthatch shows him the ropes and teaches him about the other birds and the woman who puts out food each day, and by a stroke of luck, Charlie discovers the perfect spot and builds a new nest that he can be proud of.

Pre-Order Now: https://books2read.com/u/md2YLO

Something New: The WtbR Monthly Story Challenge

I want to shake things up a bit on this blog. I’d like to stir up more reader engagement. So, I thought it might be fun to run a monthly story challenge and see if I couldn’t entice some of you to play along.

I got the idea from Story Wars, a group of authors who hold live writing events twice a month in Cleveland, Ohio and are doing impromptu writing and story telling a little differently. They will be doing an live event at the Author Nation Conference in Vegas, which is what used to be the 20Booksto50k Conference, under new ownership, now hosted by Author Nation.

What they do sounded like a lot of fun, so I thought I’d try something similar here on the blog. Here’s how it will work. Each month I will provide a story prompt in my post and then you all can take that and sit down to write for 30 minutes to see what you come up with. It can be any genre, just let your voice come through and shine.

Now I know that’s not enough time to write a complete story, of course. But it is enough to give you a good start. Publish the results on your blog and send the link to me by the last day of the month. Be sure to label them with #WtbRStoryChallenge. Or, if you don’t have a blog, you can send the results directly to me, and I will publish them the following month along with the writing prompt for the next month.

Now here’s the fun part. Each reader can vote in the comments for the story beginning they like best in the comments, even if you are a participant in the challenge. You can vote for your own story, or for someone else’s that you honestly feel is best. And each month last month’s winners will be announced. The top three will receive an invitation to finish the story and submit it to WordCrafter Press for inclusion in an anthology.

And of course, if you have a good start, you can always finish the story, even if you don’t get an anthology invitation. And I hope you do.

Winners will be announced the following month, after voting and I will continue to post winners after the challenge ends.

Now this is an experiment, so I’m running the series for six months just to see how it goes. If I’m not receiving any submissions, I may not run it that long, because the idea is to garner engagement from my reader community. But I hoping there will be interest in this fun writing exercise as way to flex writing muscles you may not use in your usual writing processes. If the response is high, and I see that there’s interest, I may decide to continue it longer.

Story Wars is a live event, so its participants really must improvise. There’s no time to outline or plot. Since this challenge is not live, you all will have time to think about what you want to write. I do ask that you don’t resort to formal plotting or outlining, as testing out those improv skills is a big part of the fun. The idea is to let your voice take the reins and run with it. Your story can be silly or serious, scary or romantic, mysterious or fantastical. And remember it is not expected to be a complete story, although hopefully you’ll be able to finish it, if you are voted a top three winner. Are you ready for some word play?

June Writing Prompt

Write a story based on a local or popular legend.

This month’s prompt should bring something to mind easily. We all know local legends or have heard one which is widely known. Pick your legend and write your tale based on it. It can be a retelling using your voice, but if you do this, please write the portion of a story which sets your story apart from previous tellings.

Stick to the rules and after 30 minutes of writing stop. I’ll be writing right along with you. I know the prompt ahead of time, but I won’t begin writing until it has posted. Be sure to have your entry to me by the last day of the month, so I can share them all for readers to vote on.

Another good thing about this not being a live event is you will have the opportunity to edit for grammar, spelling, and punctuation before submitting, and I do want it to be the best you’ve got, of course.

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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 her Time-Travel Adventure novel, The Rock Star & The Outlaw. Kaye holds a dual M.F.A. degree in Creative Writing with emphasis in genre fiction and screenwriting, and an M.A. in publishing. Kaye Lynne is the founder of WordCrafter Quality Writing & Author Services and WordCrafter Press. She also maintains an authors’ blog and website, Writing to be Read, where she publishes content of interest in the literary world.

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This post is sponsored by The D.I.Y. Author and WordCrafter Press.

Being an author today is more than just writing the book. Authors in this digital age have more opportunities than ever before. Whether you pursue independent or traditional publishing models, or a combination of the two, being an author involves not only writing, but often, the publishing and marketing of the book.

In this writer’s reference guide, multi-genre author and independent publisher, Kaye Lynne Booth shares her knowledge and experiences and the tools, books, references and sites to help you learn the business of being an author.

Topics Include:

Becoming Prolific

Writing Tools

Outlining

Making Quality a Priority

Publishing Models & Trends

Marketing Your Book

Book Covers & Blurbs

Book Events—In Person & Virtual

And more…

Get your copy today: https://books2read.com/The-DIY-Author

Robbie Cheadle has done it again

“Square Peg in a Round Hole”, A Book Review

Announcing the Winner of the 2024 WordCrafter Short Fiction Contest

Congratulations to the Winners!

I’m excited to announce that the winner of the 2024 WordCrafter Short Fiction Contest is M.J. Mallon, with her story, “The Seagull Man” – an exquistly dark short story. Runners-up have also been invited to be included in the anthology and a select few were asked to revise and submit for round two amd may be included, depending on how much room we have after all invitational submissions have been considered.

Runners-up included:

“The Fae Game”, by Danaeka Scrimshaw“The Peddler”, by Peter McKay“The Blackest Ink”, by Paul Martz“Antepenultimate”, by Molly Ertel

We had a good number of submissions to the contest this year, and together with the stories submitted by invitation, we’re going to have a deliciously dark fiction anthology come October. I am going through the invitational submissions now.

Chatting with the Pros: Kevin J. Anderson

Welcome to the revival of “Chatting with the Pros”, where I’ll be interviewing seasoned authors and experts in the publishing industry to learn what works for them and why. Learn from the experts and industry professionals as we explore the ins and outs of the publishing industry and gather tips and tools to add to our writer’s toolboxes to help make us all better writers.

Today I am pleased to introduce my guest for this first segment, international and national best seller, Kevin J. Anderson. I had the privilege of studying under him at Western State Colorado University, and besides being a successful author in the traditional publishing arena, he runs his own independent publishing house, Wordfire Press, and teaches the business of book publishing at Western. I pleased to welcome him here today because of all that, but there another reason which is maybe even more important. Kevin J. Anderson is a genuinely nice guy who enjoys down to earth things like hiking in the Colorado wilderness, as he dictates his next story, and he always makes time for fellow authors. Even with his extremely busy schedule making appearances at conferences and in person events, preparing for the upcoming movie release of Persephone, and teaching graduate courses, he didn’t hesitate to grant me this interview.

His generosity with his time and willingness to share with my readers is much appreciated, and you all are probably excited about it, too. So, I’ll just give you his bio real quick, and then we’ll get on with the interview.

About Author Kevin J. Anderson

I have written more than 175 books, including 59 national or international bestsellers. I have over 24 million books in print worldwide in thirty languages. I’ve been nominated for the Nebula Award, Hugo Award, Bram Stoker Award, Shamus Award, and Silver Falchion Award, and I’ve won the SFX Readers’ Choice Award, Golden Duck Award, Scribe Award, and New York Times Notable Book; in 2012 at San Diego Comic Con I received the Faust Grand Master Award for Lifetime Achievement.I have written numerous bestselling and critically acclaimed novels in the Dune universe with Brian Herbert, as well as Star Wars and X-Files novels. In my original work, I am best known for my Saga of Seven Suns series, the Terra Incognita trilogy, the Dan Shamble, Zombie PI series, and Clockwork Angels and Clockwork Lives with Neil Peart. Along with my wife Rebecca Moesta, I am also the publisher of WordFire Press. Find out more about me at wordfire.com, where you can sign up for my newsletter and get some free fiction.

Interview

You started out as a traditionally published author, back when that was the only way to do it. Now you have your own independent publishing company, Wordfire Press, where you publish your own books as well as the books of others. What prompted you to make the switch to independent publishing?

The publishing world changed in so many ways. As you say, there used to be only one main career path for an author, and many parts of it were out of the author’s control. But remarkable tools and opportunities became available around 2010 or so—an author with skills and persistence could now create their own books (covers, typesetting, interior design) and make ebooks and print books that were comparable to what trad publishers were doing…and that happened at the same time traditional publishing hit some real rough patches, with major houses consolidating down to only five big publishers (where there used to be a dozen or more), advances dropping, Borders book chain going bankrupt. 

I had a lot of my own backlist titles that were out of print and readers wanted them, but no trad publisher wanted to reissue them. Many of my author friends were in the same situation. So I decided to do it myself.

You are always willing to help your fellow authors when you can. In fact, you share your expertise with aspiring authors and publishers on a daily basis as the head of the publishing program for Western State Colorado University, where I got my M.A. in publishing. I learned so much from you there, and you can’t share it all in one interview, so tell me, what is the most important piece of advice that you hope every one of your students comes away with?

That there are plenty of possibilities out there for an aspiring author or publisher—more so now than ever before. If you put in the work and learn what you’re doing, you CAN get your book published and available for sale worldwide. Whether or not it’s successful depends on a lot of factors, many of which are out of your control—but a lot of them ARE things you can control. Big publishers are very slow to adapt to changing market circumstances, but you can be nimble and respond to what readers want. Be a speedboat instead of an oil tanker.

You are one of the most prolific writers that I know of. You do things a little differently from many authors, in that you dictate your stories and have a team of folks who work with you to be sure the publication of each book goes smoothly. So, what is your best piece of advice for authors wishing to increase their productivity?

Ha, well I could plug my book Million Dollar Productivity, which distills a lecture/workshop I have given hundreds of times. There are many different tips and techniques to find more time to write and to squeeze more writing out of the time you have. A lot of it is prioritizing your work—consider it your job, and put in a day of work. I am a lot more productive by writing with dictation—I go out on a walk or a hike and I tell my story aloud, which (to me) is a lot faster and more inspirational than sitting in an office and pounding on a keyboard.

And I think the real key is that I truly love to write.

Within the past couple of years, you’ve begun to sell books direct through Kickstarter. Could you tell my readers why you did that and how it is working out for you?

That was a surprise to me, and not something I thought I was interested in doing. I had seen other authors run Kickstarters to raise money for pet projects they wanted to do. Then I had a series I loved—Dan Shamble, Zombie P.I.  The first four novels were published by a trad publisher, not very successfully. Humorous horror was not my “brand” of big epic SF, but I just had so much fun writing them. I published a story collection at my own WordFire Press, and eventually got the rights back to the novels and reissued them at WordFire. Finally I wrote the next novel in the series and published it myself. They did OK, but nothing comparable to the big books I was doing with trad publishers, so I had kind of given up on the series.

But fans kept asking for more, and a friend of mine suggest I run a Kickstarter for the next novel in the series. That way the fans could put their own money down and prove they were interested. If not enough people supported it, I wouldn’t do it. Wow, did they want it! The Kickstarter earned three times as much money as the trad publisher was paying. It showed me the real power of a dedicated fan base. I’ve run five total now, all of them very successful, and I save them for very special projects I want to do.

Any advice for someone considering running a Kickstarter campaign?

Know what you’re doing, do something unique—and have as big a platform as you can. Your supporters will come from the pool of people who like your writing, like your subject matter, and believe that you will deliver. And don’t underestimate how much WORK it is, not only to build the campaign, but to run it and promote it successfully, and then the real fun of having to produce the book (and all the goodies) that you promised.

What do you think is the biggest misconception aspiring authors have about publishing that first book?

That they will instantly get rich and famous. Most first novels don’t do very well at all, but the next one maybe does a little better, and then the next one. It’s a long haul.

You write mostly science fiction and fantasy. You’ve written Star Wars books, and X-Files, and of course the Dune books with Brian Herbert. Persephone is coming out as a motion picture soon, or maybe it has already. You’ve written the Dan Shamble, Zombie P.I. books and The Dragon Business books, which are a mixture of dark humor and fantasy or speculative fiction. Your story take place in fantastical imaginary worlds which are always fun to read. Where do your ideas come from?

Mostly from reading a lot, watching a lot of movies and shows, and having a goofy imagination. I’m a big fan of the various genres and I love living in them.

As someone who has been in the business for a while now, what do you see as the future for the publishing industry?

I think it’s very bright and vibrant. I was just at a convention last weekend that had an entire dealers’ room set aside solely for authors who had published their own books and were there to meet new readers and promote their work. The “democratization” of publishing is amazing and writers have a direct line to connecting with their readers, rather than going through a lot of intermediary steps. IF you’re willing to do the work.

A current hot topic in the writing and publishing worlds is the use of generative AI in writing and imagery, and even AI narration for audiobooks. Where do you stand on the use of AI?

I like AI as a *tool* for streamlining some of the more tedious parts of writing. Effectively a really smart spellchecker. And writers are stupid if they refuse to use a spellchecker. I use an AI routine to swiftly and cleanly transcribe my dictation, and it works great.  It doesn’t rewrite anything, doesn’t “improve” what I wrote…just alleviates the grunt work.

But I’m not OK with using AI as a crutch to write your book for you. That’s what your brain is for.

Is there one book you have wanted to write, but haven’t written yet. If so,  what is it and why not?

In college I minored in Russian History, and I was captivated by Russian/Ukrainian history and folklore. I always wanted to write my Russian equivalent of SHOGUN, and I have the great story in my head, but the sheer amount of work and research it would entail just makes it impossible for me. I don’t know that I’ll ever get around to it.

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Thank you so much for sharing with us, Kevin. You’ve been a wondereful guest. I know you are a fountain of writing and publishing information, and we can only cover so much in this brief interview. In addition to being one of the most prolific authors I know of, you are also one of the busiest, but you always answer emails promptly and were gracious enough to join us here today.

Kevin loves readers as much as he does his fellow authors. If you’re a science fiction or fantasy fan, then you are both. You can learn more about Kevin on the WordFire Press website, or better yet, sign up for his Newsletter, where he shares lots of photos of conferences and cats, and there is occasionally a free book.

Join us next month on “Chatting with the Pros”, when my guest will be author and publishing industry expert, Mark Leslie Lefebvre.

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This segment of “Chatting with the Pros” is sponsored by The D.I.Y. Author and WordCrafter Press.

n author involves not only writing, but often, the publishing and marketing of the book.

In this writer’s reference guide, multi-genre author and independent publisher, Kaye Lynne Booth shares her knowledge and experiences and the tools, books, references and sites to help you learn the business of being an author.

Topics Include:

Becoming Prolific

Writing Tools

Outlining

Making Quality a Priority

Publishing Models & Trends

Marketing Your Book

Book Covers & Blurbs

Book Events—In Person & Virtual

And more…

Get your copy today: https://books2read.com/The-DIY-Author

Undawntech: Weaponized Technology for the Growing Mind

What is it about technology that humanity finds so attractive? Is it that our machinations do the hard work for us on assembly lines? Make life easier with central air and heating? Save lives through medicine? Create devices for us to communicate anywhere in the world?

Or has technology become a scourge, instead of the liberator?

Humans are the only apex predators on the planet who use weapons, not tools… but external to ourselves weapons. Science used to postulate that other animals did not use tools, but were surprised when raccoons were observed using rocks to break open shells and apes were observed using sticks to eat ants from tree stumps. Our definition of tool-users should be changed to reflect that humans use “tools” as weapons. Or, when is the last time science studied a knife wielding raccoon or a gun toting ape?

Humans devise technology as offensive and defensive weapons from automobiles, tanks, rockets to the atom bomb. Each can be used to thwart an attack or to attack another. In addition to physical objects created by humans for war, technology can be used to explore, control, and manipulate other humans for the sake of authoritative action.

Several centuries ago, the printing press freed humanity from an elite’s point of view. Humans could rise up against their oppressors and spread new ideas like a virus through whole kingdoms. As time passed, the printing press gave way to the television and eventually to the internet. How times have changed when one person’s opinion on a website can spark a community car wash or boycott of certain goods, services, or stores. 

Technology has allowed humans to band together, as well as fall under ruthless guises. For example, student textbooks published to inform, enlighten, and educate our budding workforce have changed over the course of a century. Data, history, and other forms of information have been removed over the decades to create generations devoid of pertinent and important information about the world, their countries, religion, and communities. Children a few decades ago who knew the exact amount of change they would receive from a cashier are unable to do simple subtraction without the use of a calculator.

See the book: The Deliberate Dumbing Down of America, by Charlotte T. Iserbyt Thomson, who worked in President Ronald Reagan’s Department of Education, and she chronicled the conspiracy with government documents.

Instead of facts and figures, younger generations are being taught to revel in their emotions, and disregard their intuition and logic. This manipulation only serves those humans who covet power and control over life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness. How did this happen? When the printing press, television, and internet were weaponized against other humans by an elite few.

Just like the days of old where the priests and priestesses were the only avenues to the gods, today’s zealots are interested in using our advances in technology to create a false reality. Or, haven’t you questioned Building 7 from the World Trade Towers event in 2001 yet? Later, the Smith-Mundt Modernization Act of 2012 would solidify intelligence interference in American society, especially politics. With a new Pearl Harbor and propaganda pointed at Americans emplaced, the war on the average human commenced without much uproar, until internet censorship became another weapon of choice.

See, the white paper: The Project for a New American Century.

Readers asked what all the links and information from previous articles meant for the creative writer. If you are not of your own mind, because a few others have convinced you of their world view, then what has that influence done to your creativity? Are you writing your reality, or one thrust upon you, so that you convince others of how the world works? Believing instead of knowing through our own tactile, auditory, olfactory, emotive, and intuitive experience is one way to separate the human from reality. Hence, technology plays a crucial part in the real-life version of my story, “The Reality Hackers” (Visions, WordCrafter Press, 2022).

As creative writers, it is our responsibility to look beyond the constraints of technology and question what is with: What if? The emotional bonds to a construct are difficult to break with logical arguments and evidence. That is where the creative writer can insert… what if.

To illustrate, Global Warming and Climate Change have nothing to do with the combustion engine or fossil fuels. Humanity is not boiling the Earth. The symptomatology does, however, have a direct lineage to subverting the free market business model (capitalism) into a socialist, communist model, where an elite few own and control the means of production of the people. Sound familiar? It is the United Nations’ own Agenda 21, 2030, and MegaRegions 2050, written and planned by communists, the Soviet Union’s Mikhail Gorbachev and Canada’s Maurice Strong.

If people could step out of their own way and realize that the sun controls our planetary weather, including the jet stream, high/low pressure systems, tornadic activity, ocean currents, hurricane development, and earthquakes, then humanity could have an honest conversation about the Magnetic Pole Reversal that Earth is undergoing at the present moment, like it does every six to twelve thousand years, which culminates in the Earth flipping over and the sun releasing a mega flash that would make the Carrington Event look like a bolt of lightning.

For more information, see on YouTube: Suspicious Observers and the Thunderbolts Project to catch up on real anthropological, geological, meteorological, and astrophysical space science.

These are some scary facts, and humanity is being misled about our future on this planet. The fact is: Earth is always evolving, changing through the creation and destruction of its elements. Therefore, to make the huge assumption about carbon and humans having enough effect on Earth’s climate to cause any issue is juvenile at best, and it is destructive brainwashing at worst. The United Nations IPCC’s politicized white papers about Climate Science is not about pollution. It is about how to control how other humans believe, think, and view the world. It is nothing short of hubris.

So, creative writers… what do you believe?

We’ll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false.”-William J. Casey, CIA Director

In the end, it is not about what you believe; it is what you know that creates the change you are looking for in the world. Humans have enough weaponized technology to make you believe anything, if a lie is repeated enough times by a multitude of talking heads. The one technology that has enslaved humans is the one technology that can free humans from the power and control scheme of an elite few, which is the most powerful one on Earth: our brains. Human brains are a wondrous combination of organic material and circuitry that if controlled by others is a dangerous weapon. When our minds are untethered from destructive belief systems, then the quantum computer inside our heads can set humanity free from the real-life reality hackers.

And you thought that my story was just in my imagination…

The question is: what are you going to do with yours?

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My apologies to Kaye Lynne Booth, Robbie Cheadle, and the rest of my audience for April and May’s (non-) articles. I didn’t realize that my illness was working overtime until I easily caught the stomach flu and ended up in the emergency room with a kidney infection. I love educating and informing people, always have. When my disabling illness strikes, it affects many functions and drags me down. With the addition of viral and bacterial infections, I was not my usual charming self. It happens. Sorry.

Have a great and wonderful day,

DL Mullan

_____

DL Mullan holds a Master of Arts in Teaching and Learning with Technology. 

Her lecture, Spacescapes: Where Photography Ends; Imagination Begins, debuted at the Phoenix Astronomy Society, which then led to her Sally Ride Festival lecture invitations. Her presentation, Bridging the Gap between Technology and Women, won her accolades at a community college’s Student Success Conference. She has been a panelist at speculative fiction, science fiction, and other regional conventions. Her digital exhibition pieces have won awards at convention art shows, as well as garnered her Second Premium at the Arizona State Fair. Currently, Ms. Mullan’s artistic renditions are seen on book covers, blog sites, video presentations, and various merchandise. As an independent publisher, she uses her technical background to innovate the creative arts.

As a writer, DL Mullan loves to stretch her imagination and the elasticity of genres. She writes complex multi-genre stories in digestible and entertaining forms, be it poetry, short fiction, or novels. Her science, history, mythology, and paranormal research backgrounds are woven into her writings, especially in Undawnted’s Legacy Universe. Ms. Mullan’s creative endeavors are available in digital and print collections, from academia to commercial anthologies. She is also an award-winning poet.

Be sure to subscribe to her newsletters and follow her on social media. For further information, visit her at www.undawntech.com and www.undawnted.com.

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Want to be sure not to miss any of DL Mullan’s “Un dawn tech” segments? Subscribe to Writing to be Read for e-mail notifications whenever new content is posted or follow WtbR on WordPress. If you found it interesting or informative, please share.

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This segment of “Un dawn tech” is sponsored by The D.I.Y. Author and WordCrafter Press.

ever before. Whether you pursue independent or traditional publishing models, or a combination of the two, being an author involves not only writing, but often, the publishing and marketing of the book.

In this writer’s reference guide, multi-genre author and independent publisher, Kaye Lynne Booth shares her knowledge and experiences and the tools, books, references and sites to help you learn the business of being an author.

Topics Include:

Becoming Prolific

Writing Tools

Outlining

Making Quality a Priority

Publishing Models & Trends

Marketing Your Book

Book Covers & Blurbs

Book Events—In Person & Virtual

And more…

Get your copy today: https://books2read.com/The-DIY-Author

Welcome to the D.I.Y. Author Release Party!

About the Book

Being an author today is more than just writing the book. Authors in this digital age have more opportunities than ever before. Whether you pursue independent or traditional publishing models, or a combination of the two but being an author involves not only writing, but often, the publishing and marketing of the book.

In this writer’s reference guide, multi-genre author and independent publisher, Kaye Lynne Booth shares her knowledge and experiences and the tools, books, references and sites to help you learn the business of being an author.

Topics Include:

Becoming ProlificWriting ToolsOutliningMaking Quality a PriorityPublishing Models & TrendsMarketing Your BookBook Covers & BlurbsBook Events—In Person & VirtualAnd more…Meet the Author

Greetings! Thank you so much for dropping by to help us celebrate the release of The D.I.Y. Author. You all know me as author Kaye Lynne Booth, but with the release of this book, I hope to be known as the D.I.Y. author. This is the book that only I could write, where I share knowledge and experience as I build my author business. This is not a book on craft, but a reference for authors and aspiring authors who wish to expand and grow their author business on a limited budget. Learn the tips and tricks, sites and tools, which took me over a decade, and three masters degrees to amass.

I’ve always been a do it yourself kind of gal. I’ve built my author business up around this blog, finding ways around obstacles which stood in my way, learning new skill sets because outsourcing was more than I could afford. My first novel was published by a small independent publisher. But as the five-year contract ran out, I felt I could do better through my own small independent publishing house, WordCrafter Press, so I re-published it as the first book in my Women in the West adventure series last year, and I sold more copies than that other publisher had over a five year stretch. I just released the second book in the series this month. When Covid struck, I organized and hosted two virtual writing conferences, because writers are tribal bunch, and we need contact with like minded people. Networking is a huge part of building an author business. I use that networking to build not only my author business, but my own author tribe. I’ve published my own books, and collaborative anthologies, as well as publishing books for others. And I’ve built a winning blog team here on Writing to be Read with Robbie Cheadle, Jeff Bowles, Arthur Rorsch, and DL Mullan.

No one else has shared in these exact same experiences that I have, and that’s why only I could write The D.I.Y. Author, and why I can hold that title. But enough about me. The D.I.Y. Author is a great reference packed full of links to sites and tools and tips for increasing productivity, publishing choices, and marketing your books.

We have a great release party ahead to send this book off right. We’ve got exclusive offers running this week only. After Saturday, the whole D.I.Y. store will disappear, so take advantage of them now. By buying direct, you are supporting this author and her works more than when you purchase from retailers.

My D.I.Y. VideoAuthor Video Introduction – Author Kaye Lynne BoothOn with the party!

Thanks for dropping by for The D.I.Y. Author virtual release party. We’ve got some great things planned, including a giveaway for all attendees, so be sure to leave a comment, so I’ll know you were here. I’ll be monitoring the comments throughout the day and will answer any questions you might want to post there. While you’re here you can peruse the D.I. Y. store below, for exclusive and discounted offers that you won’t find anywhere else. The store will come down at the end of the week. After that you’ll have to pay full price through retailers, and signed copies will no longer be available.

And if you are already a bestselling author and you don’t need this book or the WordCrafter services offered here, you can still offer your support for the author and this project by using the ‘buy me a soda’ button below.

Buy me a soda

Show your support for author Kaye Lynne Booth and her many endeavors through WordCrafter Press & Writing to be Read.

$1.00

Click here to purchase.

You can get a sample of the topics in the book in my post,”Writer’s Corner: What it means to be an Indie Author”

The D.I.Y. Store

Digital Copy of The D.I.Y. Author – Only $2.99

The D.I.Y. AuthorBy Kaye Lynne BoothFrom WordCrafter PressInclude your email with your order to join my mailing list. Delivery by 6/10/24

$2.99

Click here to purchase.

Signed Print Copy of The D.I.Y. Author $30 – includes shipping

The D.I.Y. AuthorBy Kaye Lynne BoothFrom WordCrafter PressPlease include physical address with your order for shipping. Delivery by July 15th, 2024. If you include your email, I’ll send you a digital copy, too, so you can start reading now.

$30.00

Click here to purchase. Discounted Blog Tour

5 Day Blog Tour – only $30

5 Day Blog Tour includes one interview, at least one review, tour banner & promo images.A $35 value.Please include your email address with your order.

$30.00

Click here to purchase. Discounted Services from Write it Right Quality Editing Services

Short Fiction Line edit – only $40

Short fiction line edit – up to 5,000 wordsA $50 valuePlease include your email address with your order

$40.00

Click here to purchase.

2 Page Developmental Analysis – only $150

2 Page Developmental Analysis (30,000-60.000 words)A $250 valuePlease include your email address with your order

$150.00

Click here to purchase.

2 Page Developmental Analysis – only $150

2 Page Developmental Analysis (30,000-60.000 words)A $250 valuePlease include your email address with your order

$150.00

Click here to purchase.

2 Page Developmental Analysis – only $150

2 Page Developmental Analysis (30,000-60.000 words)A $250 valuePlease include your email address with your order

$150.00

Click here to purchase.

Thanks for joining me today for The D.I.Y. Author Release Party. I hope you found a few useful tidbits here. For more tips and advice, you’ve got to buy the book. If you miss the window for the D.I.Y. Store, you can still purchase this useful writer’s reference here: https://books2read.com/The-DIY-Author