Kaye Lynne Booth's Blog: Writing to be Read, page 49

Book Review: The Shaman

About the Book

Gio Fortuna, a boy spurned by his parents for being “slow,” is raised by his grandfather in the ways of the Practice, a rich esoteric discipline drawing upon mystic traditions passed down over thousands of years from a multitude of cultures. Written in five parts chronicling Gio’s life, The Shaman sees Fortuna embark on a journey from initiate to adept, young boy to old man, as he navigates a network of teachers, each with their own unique lessons and challenges. Steeped in wisdom applicable to all, The Shaman is an inspiring story that proposes a unique path to self-discovery and growth unlike anything written before.

Purchase Link: https://www.amazon.com/Shaman-Joseph-Carrabis/dp/B0CJ43GCDH/

My Review

I received an ARC copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

The Shaman, by Joseph Carrabis is an adventure into the human coondition and beyond. I’ve learned more about myself from this book than I ever have from any work of fiction. A journey into the magical worlds of world cultures, this tale uses magical realism to guide us through an amazing adventure. As always, Carrabis is a master at lining his fiction with valuable lessons for all of us.

The magic of shamans lies within Gio Fortuna and Shaman is the story of his journey to discover the magic within himself, learn to use it, and teach others who are eagar to learn. But as he learns, others don’t understand, and they fear him for what he does. Feeling outcast and trying to find his place in life, Gio is on an amazing life-long journey of self-discovery. He learns something new with every interaction, whether they be teacher or student. For Gio, the incredible is ordinary, although most everyone else is left in awe.

Carrabis skillfully crafts his tale into life lessons learned by his character, Gio. As Gio ventures through life on a soul searching journey, each lesson is portrayed in a way which leaves them open to interpretation, for the reader to attach their own meanings. If you read this book, you will, too, without even realizinng that you’re doing it. I read chapters over repeatedly in order to grasp the meanings that were waiting there for me, although sometimes differing from their meanings for Gio.

I have always been interested in the mystical, but it hasn’t come naturally to me. I’ve never truly been able to meditate, and often fallen asleep during my attempts at it. Gio shows me what I need to do, but I need to learn to do it: lower – center – relax -breathe. The lessons which Gio learns and teaches are within the grasp of us all, and the author kindly lists them at the back of the book, where they can be referred to easily. As for the rest, we must each seek out our own path in our own way.

A spiritual oddesy in human nature, with so many lessons inside. I give The Shaman five quills.

______________________________________________

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 here.

Book Review: The Funny Business

About the Book

Sometimes you just want to be silly.

#1 Bestselling author Kevin J. Anderson is known for his grand science fiction sagas, his epic fantasies, his fast-paced adventures, or his steampunk Clockwork chronicles.

But Kevin J. Anderson also has a lighter side. You’ll laugh so hard, brains will come out your nose.

What happens when—

A wimpy, henpecked man finds an enchanted loincloth that turns him into a real jungle Ape Man?

A stranded alien uses his advanced technology to fool audiences as a stage magician?

A frustrated monster-movie actor uses a gypsy witch’s special makeup to turn into a real werewolf when the cameras start to roll?

A group of heavy-metal fans finds a spell on the internet to raise their favorite dead rock star from the grave for a final encore?

A vampire, just minding his own business, wakes from his coffin to find he’s being stalked through his own castle by an over-enthusiastic vampire hunter?

A futuristic law firm uses time travel as a legal loophole to win their client’s case?

Dan Shamble, Zombie P.I. takes on the Boogeyman for a client, or is hired out to save a sacrificial Aztec Christmas turkey?

These twenty stories cover a range of slapstick, subtle, short-short, and groaner humor. The Funny Business also includes for the very first time the scripts of the hilarious comic miniseries Grumpy Old Monsters, never before published.

Beware—silliness ahead. Open the book, and prepare to snicker!

Purchase Link: https://www.amazon.com/Funny-Business-Kevin-J-Anderson-ebook/dp/B0C2QLRKML My Review

The Funny Business, by Kevin J. Anderson is a collection of 20 totally silly stories, which entertain and elicit chuckles, including a few that he wrote with wife, Rebecca Moesta or other co-authors.

With so many stories, I’m not going to talk about them all. But I will mention those which particularly stuck out for me.

“Frog Kiss” is a classic fairytale turned upside down and a lesson in appreciating what life offers.“Special Makeup” is werewolf story that proves you should be careful what you wish for.“Bump in the Night” is a short Dan Shamble, Zombie P.I. adventure, when Dan is hired by the Boogyman to protect him from his overbearing aunts. Dan Shamble as always, is good for a few laughs.“Paradox & Greenblatt, Attorneys at Law” are legal beagles specializing in time-travel dilemmas. By the time the case is through Paradox’s defense tactics may leave your head tied in ridiculous knots of possibilities and probabilities.“Eighty Letters, Plus One” (with Sarah A. Hoyt), tells the tale of a misguided inspector with his priorities terribly twisted. The final letter offers a final ironic twist to this tale.“The Sacrifice” brings us a village virgin awaiting the dragon to come for his ritual sacrifice, harboring a secret that may put the joke on the dragon.“Technomagic” is a story about what happens when an alien being is stranded on Earth for twenty-seven years. The report he gives upon rescue may surprise you.“Dark Carbucle” ( with Janis Ian), is a story of a rock stars personal hell.“Cold Dead Turkey” is another Dan Shamble, Zombie P.I. story. Always a favorite for me. I love the antics of Dan and the antics of the unnatural quarter. In this one, an Aztec mummy hires him to track down his stolen wish turkey. ( I told you many of these tales were just plain silly… but really fun.)“Loincloth” (with Rebecca Moesta), is the story of a timid little man who uses Tarzan’s loincloth to bring out the beast in him.

Of course, there are many more, including a comic strip script for “Grumpy Old Monsters” (with Rebecca Moesta), which is a different kind of reading, but funny just the same.

Twenty stories that will tickle your funny bone, I give The Funny Business five quills.

_________________

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 here.

Growing Bookworms – War in Children’s Literature: yes or no? #GrowingBookworms #childrensliterature #warbooks

The world is full of conflict currently, and this has been the case throughout the reign of ‘civilized man’ on this beautiful planet of ours.

According to save the children US, a total of 93,236 children have been killed or maimed in conflicts in the last ten years (this figure is from November 19, 2020 before the two recent conflicts centering around Ukraine and Israel), which equates to 25 children (an averaged size school classroom) of children every day.

These children were mainly victims of airstrikes, shelling, landmines, and other explosive weapons used in populated areas.

Picture Credit: https://www.history.org.uk/primary/resource/3817/evacuees-children-during-world-war-ii

War and conflict is a very real factor of human society. Wars displace people and create refugees; people who are unable to continue living in their homes and carrying on with their daily lives because of violence. Refugees are a huge concern and area of focus in Western society.

Picture caption: A Chinese Nationalist soldier, age 10, from the Chinese Army in India waiting to board a plane in Burma, May 1944 from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_children_in_the_military

With these thoughts and figures in mind, I ask, should children read books about war?

My answer is yes. Books and stories are a way of teaching empathy, understanding, and raising awareness.

Jennifer Armstrong is quoted as saying: “if we don’t encounter war in the safe way, by experiencing it through literature and art, how will we be moved to avoid the real thing? Reading about was doesn’t imply an endorsement of it: it’s a way of acknowledging part of the human experience that has been with us since the days of the Trojan War and long before. If you really want to teach young readers about peace, give them books about war.”

Jennifer Armstrong is the author of over 50 books for children from kindergarten through to high school. She is best known for writing historical fiction. You can read more about Jennifer Armstrong here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jennifer_Armstrong

To:​You​

Mon 2023/11/06 09:29

 Isaac Bashevis Singer wrote: “Children think about and ponder such matters as justice, the purpose of life, the why of suffering. They often find it difficult to make peace with the idea that animals are slaughtered so that man can eat them. They are bewildered and frightened by death. They cannot accept the fact that the strong should rule the weak.” You can read more about Isaac Bashevis Singer here: https://www.encyclopedia.com/people/literature-and-arts/hebrew-literature-biographies/isaac-bashevis-singer

I’ve always been fascinated by war and have been reading about children and adults in war situations since I was a young girl. These are a few of the books about war and conflict situations I was given by Sister Agatha when I was a young student (10, 11 and 12 years old) at Holy Cross Convent in George in the Western Cape of South Africa:

The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank

Discovered in the attic where she spnt the last years of her life, Anne Frank’s remarkable diary has become a world classic—a powerful reminder of the horrors of war and an eloquent testament to the human spirit.

In 1942, as Nazis occupied Holland, a thirteen-year-old Jewish girl and her family fled their home in Amsterdam and went into hiding. For the next two years, until their whereabouts were betrayed to the Gestapo, they and another family lived cloistered in the secret upstairs rooms of an old office building. Cut off from the outside world, they faced hunger, boredom, the constant cruelties of living in confined quarters, and the ever-present threat of discovery and death.

In her diary Anne Frank recorded vivid impressions of her experiences during this period. By turns thoughtful, moving, and amusing, Anne’s account offers a fascinating commentary on human courage and frailty and a compelling self-portrait of a sensitive and spirited young woman whose promise was tragically cut short.

I am David by Anne Holm

David escapes from the concentration camp where he has spent his entire life and flees across Europe. He is utterly alone – who can he trust? What will await him? And all the while, how can he be sure that they won’t catch up with him…David learns that his polite manner, his haunted eyes and his thin features are strange to other people. He must learn to fend for himself in this strange new world.

When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit by Judith Kerr

This semi-autobiographical classic, written by the beloved Judith Kerr, tells the story of a Jewish family escaping Germany in the days before the Second World War.

This beautiful new edition celebrates the fifty year anniversary of an adventure that Michael Morpurgo called “The most life-enhancing book you could ever wish to read.”

Suppose your country began to change. Suppose that without your noticing, it became dangerous for some people to live in it any longer, and you found, to your surprise, that your own father was one of those people. This is what happened to Anna in 1933.

Anna is too busy with her schoolwork and tobogganing to listen to the talk of Hitler. But one day she and her brother Max are rushed out of Germany in alarming secrecy, away from everything they know. Their father is wanted by the Nazis. This is the start of a huge adventure, sometimes frightening, very often funny and always exciting.

Judith Kerr wrote When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit fifty years ago, based on her own journey, so that her own children would know where she came from and the lengths to which her parents went to keep her and her brother safe. It has gone on to become a beloved classic that is required reading for many children all over the world and is an unforgettable introduction to the real-life impact of the Second World War.

Number the Stars by Lois Lowry

A powerful story set in Nazi occupied Denmark in 1943. Ten-year-old Annemarie Johansen is called upon for a selfless act of bravery to help save her best-friend, Ellen – a Jew.

It is 1943 and for ten-year-old Annemarie Johansen life is still fun – school, family, sharing fairy stories with her little sister. But there are dangers and worries too – the Nazis have occupied Copenhagen and there are food shortages, curfews and the constant threat of being stopped by soldiers. And for Annemarie the dangers become even greater… her best-friend Ellen is a Jew. When Ellen’s parents are taken away to be ‘relocated’ by the Nazis, Ellen is taken in by Annemarie’s parents and suddenly Annemarie’s family are under threat too.
Annemarie has to call upon all her resources for courage and bravery as she helps her friend make a daring escape.
A Newbery Medal winner by an acclaimed author *For readers from 8 to 12 *

I still enjoy reading children’s books about war, and have written one, While the Bombs Fell, myself. These are few I’ve enjoyed.

War Horse by Michael Morpurgo

Michael Morpurgo has a number of children’s books that centre around war and conflict situations. This blurb is for War Horse.

An unforgettable tale of war, redemption, and a hero’s journey. It is 1914, and Joey, a farm horse, is sold to the army and thrust into the midst of World War I on the Western Front. When Joey is dragged away, his heart aches for Albert, the farmer’s son he is forced to leave behind. In the army the beautiful red-bay horse is trained to charge the enemy, drag heavy artillery, and carry wounded soldiers not much older than Albert off the battlefields. Amongst the clamoring of guns, and while plodding through the cold mud, Joey wonders if the war will ever end. And if it does, will he ever find Albert again? War Horse joins the Scholastic Gold line, which features award-winning and beloved novels. Includes exclusive bonus content!

Elizabeth’s War by DL Finn

It’s April of 1917, and World War I has reached Elizabeth’s family on their wheat farm in North Dakota. Although the battles are being fought overseas, the war has affected her in ways she couldn’t have imagined. Elizabeth is thrust into a new role after her brother and father leave the farm to do their part in the war. And she’s only eleven years old! Having almost died as a toddler, Elizabeth has been babied most of her life. Now she must learn to help out around the farm; cooking, cleaning, and tending to the garden and livestock. No longer can she run from her responsibilities, as she did when her horse Rosie was giving birth. There were complications during the delivery, and Elizabeth panicked and froze. The foal didn’t make it. Elizabeth faces her biggest challenge yet as a huge Christmas Eve snowstorm rages outside, cutting her family off from any help; and her mother is about to have a baby! Her brother and sister are laid up with chicken pox. Does Elizabeth face her fears or run from them? Can she help her family, who need her more now than ever? Or will she retreat like she did when Rosie needed her?

You can find out more about DL Finn’s latest book here: https://dlfinnauthor.com/2023/10/30/new-release-the-destination-harbor-pointe-series-book-3-dlfinnauthor-harborpointeseries-storyempire-writingcommunity-whattoread/

My Gentle War: Memoir of an Essex Girl by Joy Lennick

The affection Joy Lennick nee Mansfield felt and feels for Wales is immediately evident in this charming memoir.
Separated in World War 11 from her parents – with her father serving in the Royal Air Force abroad and her mother working in munitions – she finds herself living on a mountain with her two brothers. It is a world away from the cosy environment of her home in Dagenham, Essex.

You can read one of Joy Lennick’s blog posts here: https://joylennick.wordpress.com/2017/12/21/a-labyrinth-of-meanings/

While the Bombs Fell by Robbie Cheadle and Elsie Hancy Eaton

What was it like for children growing up in rural Suffolk during World War 2? Elsie and her family live in a small double-storey cottage in Bungay, Suffolk. Every night she lies awake listening anxiously for the sound of the German bomber planes. Often they come and the air raid siren sounds signalling that the family must leave their beds and venture out to the air raid shelter in the garden. Despite the war raging across the English channel, daily life continues with its highlights, such as Christmas and the traditional Boxing Day fox hunt, and its wary moments when Elsie learns the stories of Jack Frost and the ghostly and terrifying Black Shuck that haunts the coastline and countryside of East Anglia. Includes some authentic World War 2 recipes.

The ebook of While the Bombs Fell is available from Lulu.com here: https://www.lulu.com/shop/robbie-cheadle-and-elsie-hancy-eaton/while-the-bombs-fell/ebook/product-23768958.html?page=1&pageSize=4

Picture caption: A boer child, Abraham Carel Wessels in a concentration camp during the Anglo Boer War. https://za.pinterest.com/ronel79/concentration-camps-in-sa/

You can find out more about the South African concentration camps in my book, A Ghost and His Gold. IT IS NOT FOR CHILDREN. https://tslbooks.uk/product/a-ghost-and-his-gold-roberta-eaton-cheadle/

About Robbie Cheadle

Award-winning, bestselling author, Robbie Cheadle, has published fifteen children’s book and two 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/

Raising Bookworms – War in Children’s Literature: yes or no? #GrowingBookworms #childrensliterature #warbooks

The world is full of conflict currently, and this has been the case throughout the reign of ‘civilized man’ on this beautiful planet of ours.

According to save the children US, a total of 93,236 children have been killed or maimed in conflicts in the last ten years (this figure is from November 19, 2020 before the two recent conflicts centering around Ukraine and Israel), which equates to 25 children (an averaged size school classroom) of children every day.

These children were mainly victims of airstrikes, shelling, landmines, and other explosive weapons used in populated areas.

Picture Credit: https://www.history.org.uk/primary/resource/3817/evacuees-children-during-world-war-ii

War and conflict is a very real factor of human society. Wars displace people and create refugees; people who are unable to continue living in their homes and carrying on with their daily lives because of violence. Refugees are a huge concern and area of focus in Western society.

Picture caption: A Chinese Nationalist soldier, age 10, from the Chinese Army in India waiting to board a plane in Burma, May 1944 from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_children_in_the_military

With these thoughts and figures in mind, I ask, should children read books about war?

My answer is yes. Books an stories are a way of teaching empathy, understanding, and raising awareness.

Jennifer Armstrong is quoted as saying: “if we don’t encounter war in the safe way, by experiencing it through literature and art, how will we be moved to avoid the real thing? Reading about was doesn’t imply an endorsement of it: it’s a way of acknowledging part of the human experience that has been with us since the days of the Trojan War and long before. If you really want to teach young readers about peace, give them books about war.”

Jennifer Armstrong is the author of over 50 books for children from kindergarten through to high school. She is best known for writing historical fiction. You can read more about Jennifer Armstrong here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jennifer_Armstrong

To:​You​

Mon 2023/11/06 09:29

 Isaac Bashevis Singer wrote: “Children think about and ponder such matters as justice, the purpose of life, the why of suffering. They often find it difficult to make peace with the idea that animals are slaughtered so that man can eat them. They are bewildered and frightened by death. They cannot accept the fact that the strong should rule the weak.” You can read more about Isaac Bashevis Singer here: https://www.encyclopedia.com/people/literature-and-arts/hebrew-literature-biographies/isaac-bashevis-singer

I’ve always been fascinated by war and have been reading about children and adults in war situations since I was a young girl. These are a few of the books about war and conflict situations I was given by Sister Agatha when I was a young student (10, 11 and 12 years old) at Holy Cross Convent in George in the Western Cape of South Africa:

The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank

Discovered in the attic where she spnt the last years of her life, Anne Frank’s remarkable diary has become a world classic—a powerful reminder of the horrors of war and an eloquent testament to the human spirit.

In 1942, as Nazis occupied Holland, a thirteen-year-old Jewish girl and her family fled their home in Amsterdam and went into hiding. For the next two years, until their whereabouts were betrayed to the Gestapo, they and another family lived cloistered in the secret upstairs rooms of an old office building. Cut off from the outside world, they faced hunger, boredom, the constant cruelties of living in confined quarters, and the ever-present threat of discovery and death.

In her diary Anne Frank recorded vivid impressions of her experiences during this period. By turns thoughtful, moving, and amusing, Anne’s account offers a fascinating commentary on human courage and frailty and a compelling self-portrait of a sensitive and spirited young woman whose promise was tragically cut short.

I am David by Anne Holm

David escapes from the concentration camp where he has spent his entire life and flees across Europe. He is utterly alone – who can he trust? What will await him? And all the while, how can he be sure that they won’t catch up with him…David learns that his polite manner, his haunted eyes and his thin features are strange to other people. He must learn to fend for himself in this strange new world.

When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit by Judith Kerr

This semi-autobiographical classic, written by the beloved Judith Kerr, tells the story of a Jewish family escaping Germany in the days before the Second World War.

This beautiful new edition celebrates the fifty year anniversary of an adventure that Michael Morpurgo called “The most life-enhancing book you could ever wish to read.”

Suppose your country began to change. Suppose that without your noticing, it became dangerous for some people to live in it any longer, and you found, to your surprise, that your own father was one of those people. This is what happened to Anna in 1933.

Anna is too busy with her schoolwork and tobogganing to listen to the talk of Hitler. But one day she and her brother Max are rushed out of Germany in alarming secrecy, away from everything they know. Their father is wanted by the Nazis. This is the start of a huge adventure, sometimes frightening, very often funny and always exciting.

Judith Kerr wrote When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit fifty years ago, based on her own journey, so that her own children would know where she came from and the lengths to which her parents went to keep her and her brother safe. It has gone on to become a beloved classic that is required reading for many children all over the world and is an unforgettable introduction to the real-life impact of the Second World War.

Number the Stars by Lois Lowry

A powerful story set in Nazi occupied Denmark in 1943. Ten-year-old Annemarie Johansen is called upon for a selfless act of bravery to help save her best-friend, Ellen – a Jew.

It is 1943 and for ten-year-old Annemarie Johansen life is still fun – school, family, sharing fairy stories with her little sister. But there are dangers and worries too – the Nazis have occupied Copenhagen and there are food shortages, curfews and the constant threat of being stopped by soldiers. And for Annemarie the dangers become even greater… her best-friend Ellen is a Jew. When Ellen’s parents are taken away to be ‘relocated’ by the Nazis, Ellen is taken in by Annemarie’s parents and suddenly Annemarie’s family are under threat too.
Annemarie has to call upon all her resources for courage and bravery as she helps her friend make a daring escape.
A Newbery Medal winner by an acclaimed author *For readers from 8 to 12 *

I still enjoy reading children’s books about war, and have written one, While the Bombs Fell, myself. These are few I’ve enjoyed.

War Horse by Michael Morpurgo

Michael Morpurgo has a number of children’s books that centre around war and conflict situations. This blurb is for War Horse.

An unforgettable tale of war, redemption, and a hero’s journey. It is 1914, and Joey, a farm horse, is sold to the army and thrust into the midst of World War I on the Western Front. When Joey is dragged away, his heart aches for Albert, the farmer’s son he is forced to leave behind. In the army the beautiful red-bay horse is trained to charge the enemy, drag heavy artillery, and carry wounded soldiers not much older than Albert off the battlefields. Amongst the clamoring of guns, and while plodding through the cold mud, Joey wonders if the war will ever end. And if it does, will he ever find Albert again? War Horse joins the Scholastic Gold line, which features award-winning and beloved novels. Includes exclusive bonus content!

Elizabeth’s War by DL Finn

It’s April of 1917, and World War I has reached Elizabeth’s family on their wheat farm in North Dakota. Although the battles are being fought overseas, the war has affected her in ways she couldn’t have imagined. Elizabeth is thrust into a new role after her brother and father leave the farm to do their part in the war. And she’s only eleven years old! Having almost died as a toddler, Elizabeth has been babied most of her life. Now she must learn to help out around the farm; cooking, cleaning, and tending to the garden and livestock. No longer can she run from her responsibilities, as she did when her horse Rosie was giving birth. There were complications during the delivery, and Elizabeth panicked and froze. The foal didn’t make it. Elizabeth faces her biggest challenge yet as a huge Christmas Eve snowstorm rages outside, cutting her family off from any help; and her mother is about to have a baby! Her brother and sister are laid up with chicken pox. Does Elizabeth face her fears or run from them? Can she help her family, who need her more now than ever? Or will she retreat like she did when Rosie needed her?

You can find out more about DL Finn’s latest book here: https://dlfinnauthor.com/2023/10/30/new-release-the-destination-harbor-pointe-series-book-3-dlfinnauthor-harborpointeseries-storyempire-writingcommunity-whattoread/

My Gentle War: Memoir of an Essex Girl by Joy Lennick

The affection Joy Lennick nee Mansfield felt and feels for Wales is immediately evident in this charming memoir.
Separated in World War 11 from her parents – with her father serving in the Royal Air Force abroad and her mother working in munitions – she finds herself living on a mountain with her two brothers. It is a world away from the cosy environment of her home in Dagenham, Essex.

You can read one of Joy Lennick’s blog posts here: https://joylennick.wordpress.com/2017/12/21/a-labyrinth-of-meanings/

While the Bombs Fell by Robbie Cheadle and Elsie Hancy Eaton

What was it like for children growing up in rural Suffolk during World War 2? Elsie and her family live in a small double-storey cottage in Bungay, Suffolk. Every night she lies awake listening anxiously for the sound of the German bomber planes. Often they come and the air raid siren sounds signalling that the family must leave their beds and venture out to the air raid shelter in the garden. Despite the war raging across the English channel, daily life continues with its highlights, such as Christmas and the traditional Boxing Day fox hunt, and its wary moments when Elsie learns the stories of Jack Frost and the ghostly and terrifying Black Shuck that haunts the coastline and countryside of East Anglia. Includes some authentic World War 2 recipes.

The ebook of While the Bombs Fell is available from Lulu.com here: https://www.lulu.com/shop/robbie-cheadle-and-elsie-hancy-eaton/while-the-bombs-fell/ebook/product-23768958.html?page=1&pageSize=4

Picture caption: A boer child, Abraham Carel Wessels in a concentration camp during the Anglo Boer War. https://za.pinterest.com/ronel79/concentration-camps-in-sa/

You can find out more about the South African concentration camps in my book, A Ghost and His Gold. IT IS NOT FOR CHILDREN. https://tslbooks.uk/product/a-ghost-and-his-gold-roberta-eaton-cheadle/

About Robbie Cheadle

Award-winning, bestselling author, Robbie Cheadle, has published fifteen children’s book and two 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/

Writer’s Corner: The Value of Going Wide & Books2Read Links

Why Publish Wide?

We’ve all heard of Amazon. They are the single largest book distributors out there, but they aren’t just a book distributor, but they require exclusivity and they make authors jump through hoops for them to give us a second glance. Now, I admit, I have a problem with going exclusive with Amazon KU, although I know there are may authors out there who do quite well. But Amazon also has a habit of cancelling author accounts for percieved infractions to their Terms of Service. So, just stop and think for a moment what would happen if Amazon were to decide that something you do violates their TOS and cancels your account. You can appeal the decision, and you might even win, but in the meantime, your books are not available anywhere and you’re loosing money, or at least the potential for money.

Most of us have heard of Barnes & Noble, Smashwords, Apple Books, and Rakutan Kobo. These are the larger book distributors, and books are what they do, so authors can get a little loving care when dealing with these guys, but with the exception of Smashwords, you may have to be an author with a bigger name to get noticed. But here’s the thing. Publishing on each of these platforms is possible, (with the exception of KU, which requires exclusivity, but Amazon will let you publish without being in KU), but it would be very time-consuming. Any time that I spend publishing, is time that I’m not writing, so for me, publishing once to D2D and letting them take care of the rest is appealing.

Some distributors are only available in certain countries outside the U.S. Others are subscription services, or like Overdrive, sell only to libraries. My books are available on all of them and I only have to hit publish twice: once for the digital format and once for the print book. To me extending my reach in this way just makes good sense.

Why Use Books2Read Links?

I work with a lot of authors doing WordCrafter anthologies, and I ask them all to use Books2Read links in their promotions. I’ve had several people feeling the need for an Amazon link, because that is what they’ve become accustomed to. I had to explain that the Amazon link shows up under the Books2Read link, along with links for Barnes & Noble, Apple Books, Rakutan Kobo, Scribd, Smashwords, Baker & Taylor, Overdrive, Tolino, Bibliotheca, Odilo, Borrow Box, Palace Marketplace, Gardners, Vivlio, and others. Google Play is the only one I know of that D2D does not work with. If you haven’t heard of some of the above distributors, don’t be surprised. I hadn’t either until I started publishing through Draft2Digital.

Every book I publish through D2D gets a Books2Read link, so with one click readers can find links for all the distributors carrying my book and select their favorite distributor in order to make their purchase. This makes my books available on all devices, not just Kindle. Above is a screenshot of my Books2Read landing page for The Rock Star & The Outlaw. You can see the distributors where my books are available. There may be others where print is available, but print links must be added manually, so I’ve only added the two largest ones. I’ll add others down the road when I find time. There are enough distributor choices here to reach readers on any device in many different countries.

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For Kaye Lynne Booth, writing is a passion. Kaye Lynne is an author with published short fiction and poetry, both online and in print, including her short story collection, Last Call and Other Short Fiction; and her paranormal mystery novella, Hidden Secrets; Book 1 of her Women in the West adventure series, Delilah, and her Time-Travel Adventure novel, The Rock Star & The Outlaw. Kaye holds a dual M.F.A. degree in Creative Writing with emphasis in genre fiction and screenwriting, and an M.A. in publishing. Kaye Lynne is the founder of WordCrafter Quality Writing & Author Services and WordCrafter Press. She also maintains an authors’ blog and website, Writing to be Read, where she publishes content of interest in the literary world.

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Want exclusive content? Join Kaye Lynne Booth & WordCrafter Press Readers’ Group for WordCrafter Press book & event news, including the awesome releases of author Kaye Lynne Booth. She won’t flood your inbox, she NEVER sells her list, and you might get a freebie occasionally. Get a free digital copy of her short story collection, Last Call and Other Short Fiction, just for joining.

Book Review: Three Years of Her Life

About the Book

This debut novel is an indelible portrait of family love, trust, commitment, and unrelenting prejudice. A stirring tale that rides the line between historical fiction and romance., inspired by a famous musician’s hidden secret in Germany.

Three Years of Her Life, set in New England and Central Europe, is similar in concern and significant issues to bestselling America epic books of the Great Depression, The Great War and the U.S. South. People and places focused, the novel’s heartwarming and heart wrenching themes mark history in unsettled times.

My Review

The first thing that struck me about Three Years of Her Life, by C.E.Robinson, was the gorgeous cover. I was fortunate to have a print copy gifted to me by the author, which is always a treat. Most of the historical romance I read are westerns, but when well written, I have a taste for it at times. As her debut novel, C.E. Robinson has done a smashing job with this one. This novel was engaging, never losing my interest and I enjoyed every turn of the page. I found myself creating extra opportunities to read this print edition.

A romance set in the 1960s, ventures deeper into the past as Elizabeth and Erik delve into the hidden secrets of Elizabeth’s grandfather, to unravel a mystery dating back to Nazi Germany. What they uncover could unravel her whole family as old predjudices simmer just below the surface, and sometimes boil over into the public eye. Then the past reaches out to touch them both, when Erik is detained in East Germany as they raise the Berlin Wall, and Elizabeth, pregnant with their first child, journeys to West Germany to somehow bring him home. A tale of true love of the purest kind, as Elizabeth does what she must to keep the man she loves.

Mystery, intrigue and danger. Three Years of Her Life has all that and more. This historical romance is thoroughly engaging. 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 here.

Book Review: Yes, And

About the Book

College student Toby and sharp 87-year-old Jo may sound like an unlikely pair, but the neighbors find unexpected friendship when they take on Jo’s money-hungry nursing aides and work to uncover Toby’s purpose. Together, they embark on madcap adventures and explore life’s mysteries in this touching, humorous tale that’s perfect for fans of Fredrik Backman.

My Review

I listened to the audio book, Yes, And, by Cynthia Gunderson and narrated by Bethany Luhrs. This story was different, outside of my usual reading or listening fare, but the title intrigued me, and so I picked it up with a Chirp deal. It is a heart warming, feel good story in many ways, yet it is not all smiles. It focuses on realistic situations and events that are relatable.

Jo is an older woman whose mind may be slipping some, but has it together most of the time. She believes her caregivers are stealing from her, but it is written off as paranoia, or forgetfulness by most. When young Toby moves in next door, an unlikely friendship forms as they team up to find out if Jo is right. This is a story about finding our own path in life and respecting the paths of others.

This is a touching tale of acceptance and caring, proving that everybody needs somebody. Gunderson’s dialog is spot on, and her characters are realistic and likeable. In fact, I kind of fell in love with them, just a little.

Bethany Luhrs does a nice job of differentiating characters, and somehow manages to do an eighty-something woman and a twenty-one year old man with equal conviction. Kudos on a story well read.

This book had the potential to be a really great story, with an ‘everybody needs somebody’ theme. Unfortunately, there was not enough foreshadowing, so often twists in the story came as a bigger surprise than they should have been and this reader felt like something important was missed, so I can only 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 here.

POP—Is the Marvel Cinematic Universe Dying?

Exploring popular culture with both feet planted on terra firma. This is your monthly POP—Is the Marvel Cinematic Universe Dying?by Jeff Bowles

The original Iron Man movie launched the Marvel Cinematic Universe back in 2008, and perhaps nobody was more surprised than Marvel at how gigantic a success both that film and its subsequent sequels and spinoffs would become. Not long before Iron Man landed in theaters, the president of Marvel Studios, Kevin Feige, along with a squad of very talented, very shrewd writers and filmmakers, began to map out and then to successfully execute something never seen before in the movie business: a complete, functional shared universe, one that maximizes profits by intermingling a whole host of extremely popular characters.

Grossing just shy of $30 billion as of the time of this writing (and yes, that’s billion with a b), the thirty-one movies and nine Disney+ television series that make up the MCU have certainly set Hollywood on fire. So far, the universe is composed of five “Phases” that have each presented unique storytelling opportunities, including larger story arcs that have taken time and more than a few entries to complete, not unlike the semi-serialized storytelling made popular by comic book publishers decades ago.

You know, comic book publishers like Marvel and DC, the latter of which has its own cinematic universe, albeit it a somewhat smaller and less profitable one. The truth is, and it’s clear few in Hollywood understood this before it smacked them in the face, Marvel Studios is a bit of a ringer when it comes to the game of entertainment profit-making. You could accurately say the company has over sixty years of experience publishing lucrative, popular, larger-than life stories with hundreds of disparate and often unaffiliated characters thrown into the mix. Marvel’s roster of colorful heroes and villains is deeper than most non-fans know. Their origin stories have origin stories. As the old man might say, they could do this all day.

Except that maybe they can’t.

You see, due to unforeseen factors here in the second decade of Marvel Studios’ victory lap of a success story, the MCU, Marvel’s parent company Disney, and the entire Hollywood system have stumbled into something pretty alarming: fewer people are paying to see their movies and shows.

Why is that? There are a number of factors, in fact. This is not a simple issue. The big causes, of course, are the growing diversity and wealth of competing entertainment options, the great stagnation of the American middle class (vs. the price-gouging tendencies theaters, streamers, and other film and television providers have developed as international inflation continues to rise), an unplanned writers and actors strike, the rise of AI, adjacent culture wars aplenty, and perhaps most significantly of all, the COVID pandemic, which couldn’t have been predicted even if the Hollywood elite were in fact unanimously psychic.

And they aren’t. Here’s the proof. It does seem as though Marvel is in a bit of trouble right now, which is a phrase both ridiculous and insane to have to write (see that $30 billion figure). There is no real reason the MCU shouldn’t continue accumulating monumental accomplishments, and you know, lesser failures, which are slightly more numerous than ‘true believer’ fans want to admit.

It’s correct both diehard and casual audiences are less over-the-moon for Marvel movies than they were ten years ago. That’s simply the nature of the entertainment beast. Here today, dollar bin tomorrow. However, Marvel as a corporate storytelling entity has traditionally proved immune to this effect, due to the fact that a Marvel Comics fan is not built like other fans. These people—my people—have weathered so much unpopularity in their lives it forms part of their identities. We were born in cultural squalor, birthed into dingy little comic shops no non-nerd dared enter, raised and bred on stories with so much impact, so much color, so much action and fun the movies and shows and other forms of storytelling all the “normies” love seem just, you know, like, lame by comparison.

The truth is that when a good Marvel movie comes out—and I do mean a good one—Marvel fans almost always show up. This thing, this loyalty, it makes for what the analysts call a core audience, a big one, which is something every single producer in Hollywood would sell her/his/their left arm and a single thumb to snag. The bigger problem is quality. This is Marvel’s smorgasbord to ruin, and every observant fan knows it. Because while those afore-mentioned unforeseen factors have certainly had a major impact, Marvel itself could lose the whole thing simply by producing, well, less than stellar work.

Now, as far as comic book movie quality goes, casual audiences typically like but don’t always love Marvel. For every Avengers: Endgame or Captain America: The Winter Soldier there’s a Thor: Love and Thunder or a Secret Invasion (the most recent completed MCU series available on Disney+, but come on, if you weren’t a little disappointed by it, you were probably watching Loki instead). The first three phases of movies were average to great, but after Endgame, most fans agree, quality has been on the decline. It turns out Iron Man’s birth in 2008 may have been just as consequential as his … you know what? I won’t spoil Endgame if you haven’t seen it, but for crying out loud, it’s a four-year-old movie. Catch up already!

Overall quality has slipped for two reasons, as I see it, and in retrospect, each of those reasons is more short-sighted than the last. Although Kevin Feige and Marvel meticulously planned out the first ten years or so of their behemoth mad-science experiment, they don’t seem to have done so hot crafting a second. The two Avengers movies that end the Infinity Saga (Infinity War and Endgame) must’ve been monumental in their undertaking. It’s no wonder, is it, that those responsible felt the crunch a little too keenly to keep their eyes on the long game?

To a certain degree, and more than once, narrative threads have been buried in this latest batch of Marvel content. Concinnity and follow-through have become an issue, as plot points plumet more than drop and wayward character cameos wither on the vine. I mean, how and why is Harry Styles Thanos’ brother? How and why, Marvel?! Just be patient? We’ll find out when we find out? Oh, okay. Asking for a friend.

Something else Feige neglected, the power of corporate mergers. It’s well known that when Disney bought Marvel back in 2009, the House of Mouse was betting big and hoping it’d pay off bigger. It did, but Disney also bought a couple other major entertainment entities at that time, such as Lucasfilm, National Geographic, and 20th Century Fox.

The acquisition of Fox had big implications for Marvel. In addition to getting to produce new Star Wars movies and an endless, I don’t know, ice flow of Titanic documentaries, Disney also arranged for the reunion of Marvel with a few key characters the comic company sold off in the 1990s to bail itself out from bankruptcy. Namely, The X-Men and the Fantastic Four, but Kevin Feige himself also made a deal with Sony Pictures, the owners of Spider-Man and all his corresponding characters, to feature the highflying web-head in some key MCU films, a huge boon if there ever was one. The Spider-Man movies have been moving financial mountains for Sony since 2002. So too have the X-Men films for Fox, since 2000 in fact, and do not doubt Feige is planning a major MCU homecoming for everyone’s favorite irascible mutants. When the time is right, of course.

Unfortunately, adding more toys to the toy box has tended to slow down and even halt some parts of Marvel’s famously rocksteady product pipeline. MCU filmmakers had to readjust and change things up, sometimes right in the middle of production. That sort of thing is typically not good for the quality control process, and sometimes the end results have felt rushed. As all the gears set themselves in motion in what became the Infinity Saga, you could almost feel the momentum gathering from your theater seat. Not so with this new “Multiverse Saga”, which just hasn’t ever managed to get airborne, narratively speaking. Too much scramble-to-the-finish-line, not enough honing and seasoning and slow-cooking the stew.

Ironically, the last internal hurdle Marvel has had to face is their own parent company. For all the love (and money) with which Disney has showered the little comic company that could, bare economics and the necessity and nuisance of corporate expansion have forced Disney to place some demands on Marvel that clearly have been difficult to meet. First off, Disney compelled Marvel to expand their brand from a shared movie universe to a shared movie and TV free-for-all, requiring fans to subscribe to streaming or miss out, all for the glory of Disney+, which initially seemed like a smash success, but which has been struggling of late. Disney+ isn’t a bad service as such, but their initial monthly consumer asking price was far too low to maintain for long, and their original programming has been … you know … The Book of Boba Fett and Hocus Pocus 2.

On top of that, Bob Iger, the once and future Disney CEO, has seemed eager to shake things up within his company and all its subsidiaries, once again owing to the fact that fewer people are going to theaters to see his stuff. Iger and Feige are in a tight spot, but make no mistake, Bob Iger would likely sell Marvel and Lucasfilm and all his company’s many acquired Fox properties if it meant saving the mouse side of the business for good. As it was in Uncle Walt’s day, Disney is in the movie and theme park business, and if business isn’t booming, neither, I suspect, will be Thor’s raging thunder. So to speak. Sorry, bad Marvel puns are too easy to hammer out. Ugh…

The funny thing is, Disney has recently added huge Marvel expansions to both its California and Florida resorts, and they plan on building a third in Hong Kong. Avengers Campus, as it’s called, features a life-size Avengers headquarters, several state-of-the-art rides, and more food, beverage, and merchandise options than you can shake Cap’s shield at. But will it be enough? Because everyone knows people are visiting theme parks less, too.

And maybe that’s the real problem. Everybody—and I do mean everybody—does seem much less enthused about spending money on this stuff than they were a decade ago. Can you blame us, Marvel? The world has become a nerve-racking place. Mass shootings, international wars, global pandemics. I’d sure love there to be an Avengers in real life, but I’m not so sure I want to waste my hard-earned cash on their every big-screen adventure. Times are getting tougher, entertainment options are expanding, and truth be told, Marvel kind of overdid it.

Between Feige and Iger, no superhero prospect need go undeveloped. If it sells, let it sell, if it doesn’t, well, we have an answer for that, too. These knuckleheads (said with all respect due) flooded the marketplace with comic-book-isms galore. Some people—such as yours truly—eat this stuff up, but many do not. What do you say to folks who prefer more grounded ‘adult’ cinema? Drama? Romance? Maybe even some decent high-brow comedy? Sorry, sir or madam and any accompanying friends and dependents, but all you can see at the movie house tonight is Marvel, Marvel, Marvel, and maybe one Batman flick. No, most people who don’t have Spider-Man’s responsibility credo tattooed on their souls won’t pay for that or celebrate it in any way. So Marvel overdid it. So what? Isn’t that what Hollywood does? Run things into the ground until they’re unpopular, then find some other poor unsuspecting trends to acquire and exploit?

Traditionally, yes, that’s how it’s always seemed to us, watching as we’ve been from our stadium theater seating. There’s really no need to expect any less today than we expected twenty or forty or even sixty years ago. Is the Marvel Cinematic Universe dying? I think it’s too soon to start the funeral march, but if Disney ever seriously considers selling Marvel—and at present, there’s no clear indication this will happen anytime soon—the MCU will essentially be back to square one. New funding may mean new projects, but not if audiences stop going to see them.

Money talks, just as it’s always been, and moviegoers vote with their wallets. The good news is that Marvel’s history and legacy are rock solid. They really are the House of Ideas. They’ve told so many stories throughout the decades, both good and bad, it’d make Stephen King blush. Admittedly, publishing comics and producing big-budget blockbusters are two very different things, but with a bit of good luck and good public sentiment, anything and everything is sustainable. Am I right?

To be perfectly blunt, I’m not so sure Marvel can die. Like Blade, they’re the daywalker that just keeps coming. Like Pheonix, they always seem to rise from the ashes. Like Scarlett Witch, they’re absolutely crazy to make an impact. And make no mistake about it, if Marvel could die, if that were even possible, it’d be a noble, glorious death, just like… nope, still won’t spoil it for you. All I can say is this: stop seeing those Marvel movies if you want to find out just how tenuous the studio’s hold on mass-market media really is. I mean, but don’t, because I love this stuff. Sorry, I just do.

See you next month. Same POP time, same POP channel. Have a wonderful November, everyone!

Resurrection Mixtape

Jeff Bowles is a science fiction and horror writer from the mountains of Colorado. The best of his outrageous and imaginative work can be found in Resurrection Mixtape, Love/Madness/Demon, God’s Body: Book One – The Fall, Godling and Other Paint Stories, Fear and Loathing in Las Cruces, and Brave New Multiverse. He has published work in magazines and anthologies like PodCastle, Tales from the Canyons of the Damned, the Threepenny Review, and Dark Moon Digest. Jeff earned his Master of Fine Arts degree in creative writing at Western State Colorado University. He currently lives in the high-altitude Pikes Peak region, where he dreams strange dreams and spends far too much time under the stars.

WordCrafter News: Giveaway Winners, A Halloween Book Event, NaNoWriMo and a New Blog Series

Wrapping up the WordCrafter Midnight Roost Book Blog Tour

We had a great tour for Midnight Roost and many of you visited one or more tour stops and commented, for a chance to win a free digital copy of Midnight Roost. We were giving away three copies for this tour, and all that’s left to do now is to give you the winners. So, without further ado…

(Drumroll please.)

And the winners are…

BeetleyPeteVera DayLauren Scott

If your name appears on the above list, please contact me at KLBWordCrafter@gmail.com to claim your free digital copy of Midnight Roost: Weird and Creepy Stories.

In Case You Missed the Tour

Midnight Roost is a truly creepy anthology from 20 talented authors that you won’t want to miss. But, if you missed the tour, you can still get a copy here: https://books2read.com/u/318L0l

About Midnight Roost

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.

Halloween Book Event

Tomorrow is Halloween. My favorite holiday. To celebrate, WordCrafter is cohosting the author takeover during Sonoran Dawn’s Black Cauldron All Hallow’s Eve Book Event all Halloween day. Join us for promos, games, and giveaways, Halloween music and a whole lot more. Sign up and join in at the link below.

https://www.facebook.com/events/876710947358939/

Author takeover spots are available. If interested in promoting your books, artwork, or other creative projects, contact me at KLBWordCrafter@gmail.com and put Author Takeover in the subject line.

November NaNoWriMo

I’m so excited about participating in National Novel Writing Month this year because I’m itching to delve into Sarah. I’m still not prolific enough to think I’ll write the whole novel in a month, but I know from last year, with The Rock Star & The Outlaw, that participating in NaNoWriMo can offer one heck of a start.

For those who don’t know, Sarah is book 2 in the Women in the West Adventure series. Last January I ran a Kickstarter campaign for book 1, Delilah. I plan to run another Kickstarter campaign for Sarah this coming January, so it is time to write the book. In preparation, I’ve done my research and have a working outline ready. I’ve already had a lot of fun fleshing out the two supporting characters that backers got to name from Delilah’s campaign, Lillian Alura Bennett, and Owoz Crebo. One historical female character which will make an appearance in Sarah, which is a trademark of the series, is Kate Elder, a.k.a. Big Nose Kate, Doc Holiday’s infamous companion. So, I have everything I need at the starting gate, and I’m just waiting for the starting gate to open on November 1st.

New Blog Series Starting in November

I’m so pleased to be able to make this particular announcement. The first Wednesday in November, Jeff Bowles will be returning to the blog with a new blog series about pop culture, “Pop with Jeff Bowles”. He’ll be talking about the many areas of pop culture: comics and comic hero movies, video games, television, music, and more. Drop by Writing to be Read the first Wednesday of each month and check it out.

Note: Also in November and December, you may notice some extra reviews coming out on Saturdays as I try and get in all of my 2023 reads, so I can start fresh in 2024. For requested reviews, I like to post in a timely manner, and I don’t want to wait into the new year to post, as I’ve probably already passed their release date due to my back log. So, if you have requested a review and sent me an ARC copy this year, be watching, because they all should be coming up.

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Want exclusive content? Join Kaye Lynne Booth & WordCrafter Press Readers’ Group for WordCrafter Press book & event news, including the awesome releases of author Kaye Lynne Booth. She won’t flood your inbox, she NEVER sells her list, and you might get a freebie occasionally. Get a free digital copy of her short story collection, Last Call and Other Short Fiction, just for joining.

Book Review: The Hedge Witch & The Musical Poet

About the Book

The Hedge Witch & The Musical Poet is a collection of poetry and flash fiction celebrating the beautiful vulnerability of the forest kingdom. It begins with the poetic tale of the kind-hearted Hedge Witch, Fern, who discovers an injured stranger in desperate need of her woodland spells and magic.

The sweet pairing learn from each other and through Fern’s guidance, Devin embraces the power of magic to leave behind his troubled past to become The Musical Poet.

Purchase Link: https://www.amazon.com/Hedge-Witch-Musical-Poet-Fiction-ebook/dp/B0B56G2GHT/

My Review

The Hedge Witch & The Musical Poet, by M J Mallon is a lovely poetic collection which forms a lyrical tale of a man found in the forest and transformed, with the help of the Hedge Witch, into the poet the forest needs him to be. This enchanting tale unravels through a combination of flash fiction and poetry which explores magical realms and celebrates the forest. The playful, happy tone makes this tale the perfect short read for a palate cleanser after a more serious story where the fate of the world is at stake, or following a deep dive into the human psyche. It’s also a light story which can be consumed within a half hour or so, if you’ve got some time to kill. I used it as both, since I read it twice.

Delightfully entertaining, I give The Hedge Witch & The Musical Poet 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 here.