Kaye Lynne Booth's Blog: Writing to be Read, page 5

Writer’s Corner: Caution in Using AI Tools in Writing

I’ve made no secret of the fact that I use of AI tools in my writing and editing tasks. I utilized the MS editor and ProWriting Aide to help spot typos and misspellings and passive voice writing, but I don’t always agree with the AI and often dismiss suggestions which don’t fit in with voice and tone.

I have even used a free version of ChatGPT, which is generative AI, to help enhance my descriptions in my own writing. It is useful when describing a scene or area which I haven’t actually visited in real life. When writing Sarah, although I had been to Glenwood Springs, where Sarah ends up, many times, I’d not visited in Sarah’s time. It was quite a different scene, coming into Glenwood Canyon on horseback, just after the railroad had arrived there, with no four-lane highway running through, from what I’ve witnessed in my lifetime. I used ChatGPT to help visualize what Sarah might have seen as she came into town, with no large hot springs pool tourist attraction, but many smaller hot springs sending up steam along the riverbanks. The version of ChatGPT which I used only offered a general description, and didn’t get that detailed, so I had to rely on my memory of photos at the pool, depicting that time to add the details. And please understand, at no time did I take text generated by the AI word for word, but simply used its descriptions and wording to enhance my own writing.

While I always caution writers who use AI to use caution by not using AI generated text word for word, and not accepting AI editing suggestions without considering each one individually, we are now supposed to reveal to Amazon if AI has been used in any part of the writing when we publish, even if you just used it to get some ideas or to polish your manuscript.

Now, let me be clear. I do not condone using any type of AI to write the story for you, then slapping your name on it as author. While I know there are authors who do just that, I don’t consider that writing. I consider it copying, and I consider it dishonest to put your name on something you didn’t actually write yourself. People are now writing entire books using AI and they are making money off of them, but they aren’t authors, they’re imposters. Authors write. That’s what they do. They don’t let AI do it for them because the actual act of writing is too difficult and takes to much time. These folks are just in it for the money, and they don’t care how it comes to them, as long as it comes. A real author cares about the product they put their name on, and they should want it to be their own.

So, when I found an article in Writer’s Weekly that relates the tale of an author who uses no AI, but had her work flagged as plagiarism, claiming it was AI generated, it illustrated the fact for me, even more, that you can’t trust technology and AI is not infallible. You can read that article here: https://writersweekly.com/angela-desk/ai-detectors-are-now-flagging-writing-that-was-not-created-using-ai. It’s some pretty scary stuff.

Today’s technology offers tools that can come in handy and make a writer’s life easier. They can be a good thing, if they are used properly. But AI isn’t always right and anyone who checks each editing suggestion individually will soon find this to be true. AI is only as good as the methods used to train it. My advice: use AI tools when they are helpful to you, but don’t use AI to do the work for you. Be sure that your own ideas and words are in the forefront.

About Kaye Lynne Booth

For Kaye Lynne Booth, writing is a passion. Kaye Lynne is an author with published short fiction and poetry, both online and in print, including her short story collection, Last Call and Other Short Fiction; and her paranormal mystery novella, Hidden Secrets; Books 1 & 2 of her Women in the West adventure series, Delilah and Sarah, and book 1 in her Time-Travel Adventure series, The Rock Star & The Outlaw, as well as her poetry collection, Small Wonders and The D.I.Y. Author writing resource.

Kaye holds a dual M.F.A. degree in Creative Writing with emphasis in genre fiction and screenwriting, and an M.A. in publishing. Kaye Lynne is the founder of WordCrafter Quality Writing & Author Services and WordCrafter Press. 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 sponsored by WordCrafter Quality Writing & Author Services .

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

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

Mind Fields: Evil

Evil

from one place to another. 

Evil needs a source, like a river of fire

rising from Hell.  Evil

dwells in the Land of Intentions,

where power is seldom shared.

Who makes the pain?

How does suffering dive off the board

of some person’s mind

and land

is the movement of pain

in a pool of fear in someone else’s?

Should I be surprised to find evil

right here, inside myself?  Hardly.  I know what evil I carry.

I know it well.  I won’t surrender any more

to the cruel aspect of my mind.  I can think in polarities,

evil is “this”, good is “that”.  I get exhausted with polarities.

Can Evil simply Be?  No countervailing impulse, no good deeds

to excuse the action of causing pain? Consider the world

before trying to answer this question.

The nature of evil is in undeserved suffering.  That suffering

is everywhere.  The ones who cause it

are also everywhere.

About Arthur Rosch

Arthur Rosch is a novelist, musician, photographer and poet. His works are funny, memorable and often compelling. One reviewer said “He’s wicked and feisty, but when he gets you by the guts, he never lets go.” Listeners to his music have compared him to Frank Zappa, Tom Waits, Randy Newman or Mose Allison. These comparisons are flattering but deceptive. Rosch is a stylist, a complete original. His material ranges from sly wit to gripping political commentary.

Arthur was born in the heart of Illinois and grew up in the western suburbs of St. Louis. In his teens he discovered his creative potential while hoping to please a girl. Though she left the scene, Arthur’s creativity stayed behind. In his early twenties he moved to San Francisco and took part in the thriving arts scene. His first literary sale was to Playboy Magazine. The piece went on to receive Playboy’s “Best Story of the Year” award. Arthur also has writing credits in Exquisite Corpse, Shutterbug, eDigital, and Cat Fancy Magazine. He has written five novels, a memoir and a large collection of poetry. His autobiographical novel, Confessions Of An Honest Man won the Honorable Mention award from Writer’s Digest in 2016.

More of his work can be found at www.artrosch.com

Photos at https://500px.com/p/artsdigiphoto?view=photos

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Did you know you can sponsor your favorite blog series or even a single post with an advertisement for your book? Stop by the WtbR Sponsor Page and let me advertise your book, or you can make a donation to Writing to be Read for as little as a cup of coffee, If you’d like to show your support for this author and WordCrafter Press.

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This segment of “Mind Fields” is sponsored by the Roberta Writes blog site, where you can find the poetry, photos, videos, and book reviews by Robbie Cheadle and so much more.

In Touch With Nature – Golden Orb Spiders #spiders #southafrica #wildlife

Banner for In Touch With Nature 2025 Picture caption: close up of a Golden Orb Spider. You can clearly see the orb in the centre and the golden thread

Spiders get a lot of negative press everywhere. Recently, there have been a number of poems about spiders on WordPress and all of them paint spiders as scary creatures which do much harm to humans. I decided to write this post as a tribute to spiders which actually do a lot of good in this world. There are some venomous spiders, but these are in the minority. Thousands of spiders die at the hand of humans due to ignorance and unfounded fear.

The spider I am focusing on for this post is the South African Golden Orb Spider. From March to May, the Golden Orb Spider is an outstanding feature of the NorthWest province in South Africa. Hundreds of these large spiders can be seen everywhere, spinning and guarding their webs, and doing what spiders do which is catching and consuming prey, usually insects, and reproducing.

The female of this species is 1,000 times bigger than the male. The female spins the web and allows several males to cohabitat on the web. The males are usually found at the top of the web while the female sits at the hub, facing downwards, and waiting for insects to become trapped in the web. She then wraps the insect in web to immobilise it, kills it with one bite, and moves it to the centre of the web for immediate consumption or to store in her ‘larder’. I know you are thinking this is cruel but think about the contents of your own freezer. I often think that if the Martians from War of the Worlds arrived on Earth now, they would have had no conscience about eating people after peeping into the average freezer which is stuffed full of meat.

Picture caption: Golden Orb Spider from a bit further away

These are some great facts about Golden Orb Spiders:

they are active during the day and largely sedentary due to being web bound;they rarely dismantle their webs and their webs can last for years;their venom is harmless to humans;Golden Orb Spiders spin the largest and strongest web of all spiders. It’s name is derived from the golden colour of its silk;the web is strong enough to trap a small bird. The spider cannot eat a bird and such entrapment damages the web. The spider tries to warn birds of the presence of the web by leaving a visible line of insect husks on the web.the small males steal food from the female without her noticing;the males mate with the female without her noticing. Usually when she is distracted by eating;the eggs are buried in the ground;the spiderlings are not fully developed when they hatch but once they have developed, they move away from their siblings to avoid cannibalism;there are 11 African species in the genus; andthe web is used by humans to make fishing lures, traps, nets, bird snares, and as a bandage to stop bleeding.

The web of this spider is beautiful. Its yellow threads shine like gold in the sunlight to attract insects, especially bees, and blends with the background foliage in shady spots, thereby camouflaging the web. The spider is able to adjust the pigment intensity to match with background light levels and colour. This spider is a real artist.

Picture caption: Close up of a Golden Orb female spider and the much smaller male Picture caption: Golden Orb female spider with an insect caught in the web and three smaller males

These are two of my YouTube videos of Golden Orb Spiders:

Poem about Spiders from Lion Scream The Spider Ball

Behind a rotting board
A misshapen ball
Pulsating with life; dark silhouettes wriggling
Protected by soft web
The mother’s life work
***
In the dimness they grow
Increasing in strength
Those with greater confidence start to explore
Running along the threads
Pushing boundaries
***
Ready for life alone
They prepare to leave
Climbing up high they release several strands
And float gently away
Life’s an adventure

Purchase Lion Scream here: https://www.amazon.com/Lion-Scream-Syllabic-Southern-Wildlife-ebook/dp/B0BXP5N766

About Roberta Eaton Cheadle Picture caption: Robbie Cheadle author photograph 2025

Roberta Eaton Cheadle, is a South African writer and poet specialising in historical, paranormal, and horror novels and short stories. She is an avid reader in these genres and her writing has been influenced by famous authors including Bram Stoker, Edgar Allan Poe, Amor Towles, Stephen Crane, Enrich Maria Remarque, George Orwell, Stephen King, and Colleen McCullough.

Roberta has two published novels and a collection of short stories and has horror, paranormal, and fantasy short stories included in several anthologies. She is also a contributor to the Ask the Authors 2022 (WordCrafter Writing Reference series).

Roberta is also the author and illustrator of seventeen children’s books, illustrator to a further three children’s books, and the author and illustrator of four poetry books published under the name of Robbie Cheadle, and has poems and short stories featured in several anthologies under this name.

Roberta’s blog features discussions about classic books, book reviews, poetry, and photography. https://roberta-writes.com/.

Find Roberta Eaton Cheadle

Blog: https://wordpress.com/view/robertawrites235681907.wordpress.com

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/robbiecheadle.bsky.social

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/robertawrites

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Roberta-Eaton-Cheadle/e/B08RSNJQZ5

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Like this post? Are you a fan of this blog series? Did you know you can sponsor your favorite blog series or even a single post with an advertisement for your book? Stop by the WtbR Sponsor Page and let me advertise your book, or you can make a donation to Writing to be Read for as little as a cup of coffee, If you’d like to show your support for this author and WordCrafter Press.

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This segment of “In Touch with Nature” is sponsored by the Midnight Anthology Series and  WordCrafter Press .

Midnight Roost: Weird and Creepy Stories: 20 authors bring your nightmares to life in 23 stories of ghosts, paranormal phenomenon and the horror from the dark crevasses of their minds. Stories of stalkers, both human and supernatural, possession and occult rituals, alien visitations of the strange kind, and ghostly tales that will give you goosebumps. These are the tales that will make you fear the dark. Read them at the Midnight Roost… if you dare. https://www.amazon.com/Midnight-Roost-Kaye-Lynne-Booth-ebook/dp/B0CL6FPLVJ

Midnight Garden: Where Dark Tales Grow: 17 authors bring you 21 magnificent dark tales. Stories of magic, monsters and mayhem. Tales of murder and madness which will make your skin crawl. These are the tales that explore your darkest fears. Read them in the Midnight Garden… if you dare. https://www.amazon.com/Midnight-Garden-Where-Tales-Anthology-ebook/dp/B0DJNDQJD3

WordCrafter News: “Curses” Coming in September

I’m excited to announce the coming release of the Curses anthology from WordCrafter Press on September 30. Naturally we’ll be launching this collection of stories featuring curses: cursed places, cursed objects, cursed people with a WordCrafter Book Blog Tour September 29 – October 5, where you can meet a different contributing author and learn more about them and their story through guest posts, readings and interviews. I do hope you’ll all join us as we celebrate with the authors and promote the anthology’s success.

About Curses

There are all types of curses.

Cursed places, cursed items, cursed people, cursed families.

Curses that last throughout time. Curses that can’t be broken. Curses that will kill you and those that will only make you wish you were dead.

Nine tantalizing tales of curses and the cursed. Includes stories by Kaye Lynne Booth, C.R. Johansson, Robert White, Joseph Carrabis, Paul Kane, Danaeka Scrimshaw, Abe Margel, and Denise Aparo.

On The Home Front

September is always a hard month for me because it is in September that my son, Michael died. I try to keep it a pretty quiet month, with not a lot of deadlines or other obligations to meet. It’s also the month that he was born and needless to say, I usually spend a lot of time thinking about him during September.

He’s been gone now for sixteen years. That’s a long time. So, for me, the month of September is kind of a month of mourning, but it’s also a month-long celebration of his life, even after all these years. I drag out all my old photos and think a lot about the memories they represent. I talk to Michael all the time, but during September, we have one-way chats at least daily, and sometime, even more.

But Michael was my biggest fan when he was alive, and although you may not hear a lot from me on social media in September, the wheels of production will go on, because he would have wanted it that way. He was always interested in what I was writing and even wrote short stories and poetry of his own.

The end of the month will see the release of the Curses anthology, so I’ll be working on blog tour preparations. And looking forward, I’ll also be editing and compiling the stories for Midnight Oil, the third book in the Midnight anthology series, which will include my story with the working title of “Elephant Zombie”, and will be released in October. Lastly, I’ll be preparing Smothered, a paranormal romance by B.T. Clearwater, which will also be released in October.

Wow! Now that I put it all down here, I guess I may be pretty busy in September after all.

Other Posts About Michael Daniel Lee

“We Miss You” (9/21/2010): https://writingtoberead.com/2010/09/21/we-miss-you/

“A Tribute to My Son” (9/19/2016): https://writingtoberead.com/2016/09/19/a-tribute-to-my-son/

“Wake Me Up When September Ends” (9/10/2018): https://writingtoberead.com/2018/09/10/wake-me-up-when-september-ends/

“September Blues” (9/15/2021): https://writingtoberead.com/2021/09/15/september-blues/

About Kaye Lynne Booth

For Kaye Lynne Booth, writing is a passion. Kaye Lynne is an author with published short fiction and poetry, both online and in print, including her short story collection, Last Call and Other Short Fiction; and her paranormal mystery novella, Hidden Secrets; Books 1 & 2 of her Women in the West adventure series, Delilah and Sarah, and her Time-Travel Adventure novel, The Rock Star & The Outlaw,as well as her poetry collection, Small Wonders and The D.I.Y. Author writing resource.

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

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Did you know you can sponsor your favorite blog series or even a single post with an advertisement for your book? Stop by the WtbR Sponsor Page and let me advertise your book, or you can make a donation to Writing to be Read for as little as a cup of coffee, If you’d like to show your support for this author and WordCrafter Press.

______________________________________________

This post sponsored by WordCrafter Quality Writing & Author Services .

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

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

Book Review: Shocking Celebrity Murders

About Shocking Celebrity Murders

Hollywood has long fascinated the masses. Not just with blockbuster films, but also by way of the Hollywood lifestyle. The lives of the rich and famous stars who strut down Sunset Boulevard hold us mesmerized. One can’t help but wonder about what being a celebrity must really be like. And the same goes for Hollywood tragedy. When tragedy occurs, people can’t help but find themselves drawn to the spectacle. Cases of celebrities being murdered in particular are bound to get attention.

Some of the cases mentioned in this book are rather clear-cut instances of murder, while others still remain a complete mystery to this very day. It was quite obvious for example, who the culprits were in the deaths of aspiring actresses Rebecca Schaeffer and Dominque Dunne, since the killers of these two aspiring actresses, readily admitted to doing the killing. These tragic instances have shown that even the rich and famous are just as vulnerable as the rest of us. Then again, for Hollywood screenwriter Gary Devore, there was no such luck. In fact, when the celebrated writer was found with his hands cut off, no one seemed to have a clue as to what had happened to him.

Here in this book, we will highlight some of the most infamous Hollywood murders, along with a few that you might not have heard much about, including:

George ReevesBruce LeeDesmond TaylorSelenaLana ClarksonKristi JohnsonBob CraneAnd many more!

Read on your favorite devices such as Kindle, iPhone, iPad, Android cellular phone, tablet, laptop, or computer with Amazon’s free reading Kindle App.

Purchase Link: https://www.amazon.com/Shocking-Celebrity-Murders-Brutally-Hollywood-ebook/dp/B09L58HY76/

My Review of Shocking Celebrity Murders

I purchased a digital copy of Shocking Celebrity Murders, by Jack Smith via a KindofBook Deal. All opinions stated here are my own.

Shocking Celebrity Murders, by Jack Smith gives us the bare bones facts about the deaths of some of Hollywood’s most famous. Even the most gruesome of murders are reported with known facts and no added supposition or gory details.

Included are the deaths of Hogan’s Heros’ star Bob Crane; Saturday Night Live’s Phil Hartman; the original Superman, George Reeves; Martial artist and rising star, Bruce Lee; actress Natalie Woods; Musician Marvin Gaye; con-artist and with of Robert Blake, Bonnie Lee Blakely; and even the gruesome murder of Sharon Tate by members of the Mason ‘family’, along with several others whom I’d not heard of.

Smith covers the spectrum well, but I was surprised that certain deaths were not included, such as Marilyn Monroe, Janice Joplin, John Belushi, or even Elvis. They certainly qualify, since he includes unsolved cases, suspected suicides, and disappearances where the fate of the victim was never resolved. Because of this, I don’t believe the subtitle of the book- “True Crime Cases of Famous People Who Were Brutally Killed”- is misleading. While the author has done an excellent job of presenting the known facts, those facts often only lead to questions and speculation. While all the deaths included were tragic, I don’t consider all of them to be brutal, and not all were murders.

An interesting read. I give Shocking Celebrity Murders four quills.

About Kaye Lynne Booth

For Kaye Lynne Booth, writing is a passion. Kaye Lynne is an author with published short fiction and poetry, both online and in print, including her short story collection, Last Call and Other Short Fiction; and her paranormal mystery novella, Hidden Secrets; Books 1 & 2 of her Women in the West adventure series, Delilah and Sarah, and her Time-Travel Adventure novel, The Rock Star & The Outlaw,as well as her poetry collection, Small Wonders and The D.I.Y. Author writing resource.

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

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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.

Treasuring Poetry – Meet poet and author, Joy Neal Kidney and a review #poetry #TreasuringPoetry #poetrycommunity

Picture caption: Banner for Treasuring Poetry 2025

Today, I am delighted to introduce Joy Neal Kidney, poet and writer of historical memoirs.

What is your favourite style of poetry to read i.e. haiku, ballad, epic, freestyle, etc.?

Free verse.

What is your favourite poem in your favourite style to read?

Also free verse.

Meadowlark by Nicholas Dowd

Every morning that summer

Brought a premonition

A sense of something pending

Fencerows buzzed with it

Breezes whispered it to the corn

Meadowlarks sang it at sunrise

Some nights we wondered

What might lie ahead, but

All we could do was listen

Waiting for the song of the lark

To drift across our field at dawn.

Note: Nicholas Dowd writes poignant free verse but isn’t published, yet. He allowed me to share this one in Leora’s Letters: The Story of Love and Loss for an Iowa Family During World War II. (Another of his poems, “Morrisburg Cemetery,” opens Leora’s Early Years: Guthrie County Roots.)

What is your favourite style of poetry to write?

I’ve tried several styles but keep coming back to free verse, for the freedom it offers as I sculpt the words and thoughts. 

What is your favourite of your own poems?That Fateful Sunday Dinner

The clink of silverware,

Sammy Kaye’s Sunday Serenade,

amiable background music

for Iowa after-church diners.

The scent of Evening in Paris 

mingles with that of pot roast.

A news bulletin interrupts 

a smooth danceable melody:

Pearl Harbor has been attacked.

Diners gasp, ask a flock of questions.

Does this mean we’re at war?

Where is Pearl Harbor?

Doris, in her gold waitress uniform, 

shudders. One brother in the navy, 

and her other brothers

are “all the wrong ages.”

Five brothers serve.

Only two come home. 

This was published in Lyrical Iowa 2023. Doris was my mother. (Lyrical Iowa 2025 will include another poem, “Learning How to Vote, 1920,” as the First Honorable mention in the National/World Events category. It’s about my great grandmother, Leora’s mother.)

Please tell us about your poetry book, Meadowlark Songs: A Motherline Legacy. How did this book come about? How does this book fit with your historical books about Leora?

Books by three authors sparked the idea of capturing the women of my motherline in vignettes: Luanne Castle’s Kin Types, Elizabeth Gauffreau’s Grief Songs: Poems of Love & Remembrance, and The Horse Lawyer and Other Poems by Greg Seeley. Greg’s book captures three generations on the same Iowa farm, beginning with his Civil War ancestor. 

Meadowlark Songs covers seven generations. The legacy of a small log church was nurtured through my motherline and woven into the blessing and mystery of my own inheritance. Glimpses into the lives of these women, along with cameo appearances of the men they married, reveal a legacy of faith and hope while navigating challenging times and great losses. 

My other books cover Grandma Leora’s life through WWII, when she lost three sons during WWII and was widowed shortly afterwards. I was born during the war and I’m her oldest granddaughter. She was a delight as a grandmother, who lived to the age of 97. She’s the fifth generation in Meadowlark Songs, “The Heart of Her Family.”

My review of Meadowlark Songs: A Motherline Legacy Picture caption: cover of Meadowlark Songs: A Motherline Legacy featuring a meadowlark

This historical memoir is written as a series of interrelated poems which I though was a wonderful and unique idea. The book is divided into sections, each relating to a woman in the Motherline Legacy, and comprises of a series of poems relating to that individual, her life, spouse, circumstances and family. Each section shares a great deal of historical information about the specific time period and fascinating details about, inter alia, life, dress codes, work, and education. Such a novel way of sharing historical information and the highlights of each individual’s life.

Life was tough for the women featured in this collection. They worked incredibly hard, overcame obstacles including the deaths of children, siblings, and parents, and battled the elements, but they prevailed and built good lives for their families. There is a strong religious thread throughout the book demonstrating the importance of faith in each family’s life.

Due to my fascination with war, the sections about Leora (Goff) Wilson and her daughter, Doris (Wilson) Neal interested me the most as they included details about Leora’s five sons who all fought for the USA in WW2. Leora suffered the deaths of three, a terrible tragedy for one family.

The poetry is freestyle and provides a lot of insight into the characters of the Motherline women and their family members. The poems reminded me, over and over, how much easier life is now with fewer infant deaths and technology and appliances to make housework so much quicker and easier. One poem that really captivated me in its great sadness was Baby Marilyn.

This is a quote from Baby Marilyn:
“I was the third of seven Wilson kids,
now eight. It was 1931 and we had
to many mouths to feed.

I didn’t want another baby,
but she was beautiful and needed a name.
Mom suggested I name her.
Marilyn Louise. She was mine
to care for every day after school.

She died while I was at school,
just a month later.
A weak heart, the doctor said.
My arms were empty, helpless.”

A beautiful and interesting collection of poetry that weaves a story of several generations of mothers. This collection has certainly sparked my interest in reading this authors other historical novels about her family.

About Joy Neal Kidney Picture caption: Author photograph of Joy Neal Kidney

Joy Neal Kidney is the oldest granddaughter of Leora Wilson and author of four “Leora books.” She lives in central Iowa with her husband, Guy (an Air Force Veteran of the Vietnam War and retired Air Traffic Controller). Their son and his wife live out-of-state with Joy’s only grandchild Kate, age eight.

A graduate of the University of Northern Iowa, Joy has lived with fibromyalgia for two dozen years, giving her plenty of home-bound days to write blog posts and books. 

Website: https://joynealkidney.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/joy.kidney

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joy-neal-kidney

Twitter/X: https://x.com/JoyNealKidney

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/joynealkidney/

About Robbie Cheadle Picture caption: Robbie Cheadle author picture

South African author and illustrator, Robbie Cheadle, has written and illustrated sixteen children’s books, illustrated a further three children’s books, and written and illustrated three poetry books. Her work has also appeared in poetry and short story anthologies.

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

You can find Robbie Cheadle’s artwork, fondant and cake artwork, and all her books on her website here: https://www.robbiecheadle.co.za/

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Did you know you can sponsor your favorite blog series or even a single post with an advertisement for your book? Stop by the WtbR Sponsor Page and let me advertise your book, or you can make a donation to Writing to be Read for as little as a cup of coffee, If you’d like to show your support for this author and WordCrafter Press.

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This segment of “Treasuring Poetry” is sponsored by  WordCrafter Press  and the Poetry Treasures series.

Get Your Copy Today!

Poetry Treasures: https://books2read.com/PoetryTreasures

Poetry Treasures 2: Relationships: https://books2read.com/PT2-Relationships

Poetry Treasures 3: Passions: https://books2read.com/u/b5qnBR

Poetry Treasures 4:In Touch With Nature: https://books2read.com/PT4-Nature

WordCrafter AI Audio Books

Did you know that you can listen to my AI narrated audio books on Google Play Books? In fact, I’ve just dropped the price on all three of them to make it even easier.

Listen to my western historical women’s fiction, Delilah; my time travel adventure, The Rock Star & The Outlaw; or my paranormal mystery, Hidden Secrets at the links below.

Delilah: Book 1 in the Women in the West Adventure Series: ($4.99) https://play.google.com/store/audiobooks/details/Kaye_Lynne_Booth_Delilah?id=AQAAAECSazYrtM

The Rock Star & The Outlaw: Book 1 in the Time Travel Adventure Series: ($4.99) (https://play.google.com/store/audiobooks/details/Kaye_Lynne_Booth_The_Rock_Star_The_Outlaw?id=AQAAAECSG2Zb5M

Hidden Secrets: Paranormal Mystery Novella: ($2.99) https://play.google.com/books/listen?id=AQAAAECSG0ZbxM

About Delilah

Delilah is a woman haunted by her past.

Her homecoming from prison quickly turns into a quest for vengeance when she is brutally raped and left for dead, and her fourteen-year-old ward is abducted. Sheer will and determination take this tough and gritty heroine up against wild beasts of the forest, Indians and outlaws to Leadville.

Can the colorful inhabitants of the Colorado mining town work their way into Delilah’s heart, offering a chance for a future she thought she’d lost along with her innocence?

If you like strong and capable female protagonists, you’ll love Delilah.

About The Rock Star & The Outlaw

A time-traveler oversteps his boundaries in 1887. Things get out of hand quickly, and he is hanged, setting in motion a series of events from which there’s no turning back.

In 1887, LeRoy McAllister is a reluctant outlaw running from a posse with nowhere to go except to the future.

In 2025, Amaryllis Sanchez is a thrill-seeking rock star on the fast track, who killed her dealing boyfriend to save herself. Now, she’s running from the law and his drug stealing flunkies, and nowhere is safe.

LeRoy falls hard for the rock star, thinking he can save her by taking her back with him. But when they arrive in 1887, things turn crazy fast, and soon they’re running from both the outlaws and the posse, in peril once more.

They can’t go back to the future, so it looks like they’re stuck in the past. But either when, they must face forces that would either lock them up or see them dead.

About Hidden Secrets

Cassie wants nothing to do with the legacy her grandmother wants to hand down to her.

She doesn’t believe in all those Native American legends anyway.

She and Tony are to be married and start a family. They’re returning to her ancestral lands now to tell her grandmother to pass the tribal legacy on to someone else, along with the cursed gold that goes with it.

When she forces herself to go out on the lake where her parents drowned, she discovers the cave which holds the tribal treasure and the lake takes another life. Now Cassie must rethink all that she believes. If the treasure is real, could the curse be real, too?

Can Cassie find a way to stop it before Tony becomes the next victim?

If you love paranormal mysteries, pick up a copy of Hidden Secrets.

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Book Review: “Wings of Tabat”

About Wings of Tabat

In the final book of Cat Rambo’s magical Tabat Quartet, we return to the city of Tabat, where Humans and magical Beasts co-exist—but uneasily. The exploited Beasts, used for both their labor and their very bodies, are finally fighting back, and turmoil abounds in the city.
At the same time, as Tabat prepares for its long-predicted elections, multiple factions are jostling for power—all of them preparing to oust the Duke. And the mysterious Circus of the Autumn Moon has departed from the College of Mages and is nowhere to be found.

Bella Kanto, once Champion of Tabat before being exiled for crimes she did not commit, has come home to her beloved city, carried by Dragons. If she is found, exiled Bella could be thrown into the Duke’s dark prisons.
Adelina, Bella’s former lover and best friend, has married Merchant Mage Sebastiano, but the two are still learning what it means to be in love with each other—and how to survive together.
Meanwhile, freed of his curse, Bella’s former companion Teo has escaped Lucy’s grasp, but finds the city an unwelcoming place nonetheless.
Now Bella must determine how to defend Tabat from a terrifying menace: the transfigured Lucy, transformed into a dangerous demigod. Monstrous in her power and angry at the city she feels has betrayed her, Lucy destroys the Duke’s castle and other vital parts of Tabat, raining down destruction and chaos, and threatening to eradicate the city entirely.
Now that she is reunited with her friends and family, can Bella manage to recapture her magical tie to Tabat in time to defeat Lucy before she destroys the city?

Purchase Link: https://www.amazon.com/Wings-Tabat-Quartet-Book-ebook/dp/B0FHC3M47Z

My Review of Wings of Tabat

I received a digital copy of Wings of Tabat, by Cat Rambo, from WordFire Press in exchange for an honest review. All opinions stated here are my own.

Wings of Tabat is the last book in The Tabat Quartet, by Cat Rambo. I had a hard time getting into the story because I was busy trying to figure out all the characters, with which I was unfamiliar because I hadn’t read the first three books. The author included a note to bring readers up to speed, but not knowing the characters and the world made it difficult to understand what has come before. Although some series books do well as stand alone, this series is epic fantasy, and there is need to be oriented in the world to be fully committed to the characters, so I recommend reading it through from the beginning.

Tabat is currently ruled by the Duke, but the city is in unrest and the upcoming elections threaten to change all that. The beasts are tired of being slaves and being treated as less than the humans, and there are humans who feel the state of things, where beasts are concerned, is wrong and needs to be corrected.

The champion of Tabat, Bella Canto, has been exiled by the Duke. Something has happened to a young girl, Obedience, to turn her evil and give her great power, turning her into Lucy, who is bent on revenge to all who have wronged her, as she sees it. Now, she has returned to Tabat to wreck havoc on the Duke and the city at large, and make the people she holds responsible pay.

But Bella Canto has also returned to Tabat, hoping to reclaim the city that she loves, and once loved her. As it turns out, she may be the city’s only hope, if she can gather the city’s magic once more.

Once I felt a connection with some of the characters, I was able to better get into this epic tale. I give Wings of Tabat four quills.

About Kaye Lynne Booth

For Kaye Lynne Booth, writing is a passion. Kaye Lynne is an author with published short fiction and poetry, both online and in print, including her short story collection, Last Call and Other Short Fiction; and her paranormal mystery novella, Hidden Secrets; Books 1 & 2 of her Women in the West adventure series, Delilah and Sarah, and her Time-Travel Adventure novel, The Rock Star & The Outlaw,as well as her poetry collection, Small Wonders and The D.I.Y. Author writing resource.

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

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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.

Read and Cook with Robbie Cheadle – Jaws by Peter Benchley and Fish Paella #fiction #readingcommunity #cooking

My review of Jaws Picture caption: cover of Jaws by Peter Benchley featuring a shark heading for a swimming woman.

I watched the Stephen Spielberg movie when I was twelve years old and I never forgot it. Like most of my generation, Jaws, the movie, terrified me and I never swim at night or in murky water. I didn’t know about the book until I rewatched the movie recently. I was curious to read the book that underpinned the movie, which although dated, is still terrific. The book did not disappoint me. In fact, the book is better than the movie as it explores human relationships and elements outside of the main shark storyline thereby increasing the reader’s investment in the main characters. I loved the Chief of Police, Martin Brody, and rooted for him to succeed in his quest to save his hometown. from the shark. I disliked Hooper, the shark expert and one of the wealthy ‘summer’ people, and Brody’s wife who didn’t know what she wanted from life. It always fascinates me how American author’s depict political figures such as the major as being corrupt and unreliable. Jaws was no different and had its unethical character who unintentionally becomes an ally to the shark. 

The writing is enticing, and I enjoyed the depictions of the great ‘fish’ in its natural environment and role as a super predator. The shark’s behaviour, although more deliberate and considered than average for a shark, did not cross lines and become unbelievable. The author kept the storyline within the realms of the possible which I liked. 
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As mentioned earlier, the book refers to the wealthy summer visitors and the poorer all year round ‘winter’ folk who are dependent on summer trade to see them through the winter. It gently explores the differences between the two sets of people and highlights the lack of social cohesion between the groups and the resultant resentment of the winter people who feel inferior. 

The book also explores regret and a lack of gratitude for the non-material blessings in life. Hooper represents the spirit of the summer people and is shallow, arrogant, and selfish in many ways. He is also conflicted and uncertain of his role in society and life in general despite having all the privileges wealth brings. Brody represents the winter people who are solid, salt of the earth types with strong values and family ties. 

This is a book with a few fascinating layers making it more than the movie, however thrilling and chilling the movie was.

You can purchase Jaws here: https://www.amazon.com/Jaws-Novel-Peter-Benchley/dp/0345544145

A few quotes from Jaws

“There’s nothing in the sea this fish would fear. Other fish run from bigger things. That’s their instinct. But this fish doesn’t run from anything. He doesn’t fear.”

“Sharks have everything a scientist dreams of. They’re beautiful―God, how beautiful they are! They’re like an impossibly perfect piece of machinery. They’re as graceful as any bird. They’re as mysterious as any animal on earth. No one knows for sure how long they live or what impulses―except for hunger―they respond to. There are more than two hundred and fifty species of shark, and everyone is different from every other one.”

“The boy’s last—only—thought was that he had been punched in the stomach. The breath was driven from him in a sudden rush. He had no time to cry out, nor, had he had the time, would he have known what to cry, for he could not see the fish. The fish’s head drove the raft out of the water. The jaws smashed together, engulfing head, arms, shoulders, trunk, pelvis, and most of the raft. Nearly half the fish had come clear of the water, and it slid forward and down in a belly-flopping motion, grinding the mass of flesh and bone and rubber. The boy’s legs were severed at the hips, and they sank, spinning slowly, to the bottom.”

Fish PaellaIngredients

olive oil to cook

1 large red bell pepper, diced

2 x red onions, diced

15 ml garlic flakes

1 litre chicken stock (you can use fish stock)

500 grams white fish. I used hake

500 grams Norwegian salmon

2 cups (500 ml) medium grain rice

3 tomatoes diced

pinch turmeric

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

1 cup fresh or frozen peas

milk for cooking

Method

Lay the fish in a large pan or wok and cover with milk. Once the milk starts boiling, cook for 10 minutes. Remove the skin once cooked and break into chunks.

In a large pot on the stove, fry the onion in the olive oil. Add the red pepper, garlic, turmeric, paprika, and tomatoes and cook for 10 minutes until the tomatoes start to soften. Add the rice and then the chicken stock. Bring to the boil and then turn down to a simmer. Simmer until most of the liquid is gone and the rice is plump. Add the peas and the fish. Simmer for another 5 minutes until the peas are cooked. Serve.

Picture caption: Fish paella in the pot prior to serving

Picture caption: Serving of fish paella with roasted cauliflowerAbout Roberta Eaton Cheadle Picture caption: Robbie Cheadle author photograph 2025

Roberta Eaton Cheadle, is a South African writer and poet specialising in historical, paranormal, and horror novels and short stories. She is an avid reader in these genres and her writing has been influenced by famous authors including Bram Stoker, Edgar Allan Poe, Amor Towles, Stephen Crane, Enrich Maria Remarque, George Orwell, Stephen King, and Colleen McCullough.

Roberta has two published novels and a collection of short stories and has horror, paranormal, and fantasy short stories included in several anthologies. She is also a contributor to the Ask the Authors 2022 (WordCrafter Writing Reference series).

Roberta is also the author and illustrator of seventeen children’s books, illustrator to a further three children’s books, and the author and illustrator of four poetry books published under the name of Robbie Cheadle, and has poems and short stories featured in several anthologies under this name.

Roberta’s blog features discussions about classic books, book reviews, poetry, and photography. https://roberta-writes.com/.

Find Roberta Eaton Cheadle

Blog: https://wordpress.com/view/robertawrites235681907.wordpress.com

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/robbiecheadle.bsky.social

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/robertawrites

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Roberta-Eaton-Cheadle/e/B08RSNJQZ5

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Like this post? Are you a fan of this blog series? Did you know you can sponsor your favorite blog series or even a single post with an advertisement for your book? Stop by the WtbR Sponsor Page and let me advertise your book, or you can make a donation to Writing to be Read for as little as a cup of coffee, If you’d like to show your support for this author and WordCrafter Press.

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This segment of “Read and Cook with Robbie Cheadle” is sponsored by the Midnight Anthology Series and  WordCrafter Press .

Everyone is a Critic: “Red Eye”

I stumbled upon this movie on Pluto TV and thought I’d give it a try. I don’t know what I was expecting when I chose it. At the beginning, I thought I’d picked up a romance, when the protagonist, Lisa (Rachel McAdams), meets a man, Jackson (Cillian Murphy), at the airport and they have a drink together. This impression was reinforced for me when he ends up on the same Red Eye flight and he takes the seat next to hers. My mind was quickly changed when his true intentions are revealed and it becomes obvious that this story is actually a smashing psychological thriller.

Scene from Red Eye

It is no coincidence that they met, or that they were on the same flight, for it turns out Jackson has been watching Lisa for quite some time, and his plans involve using her for his own dark purposes after making her his psychological hostage, threatening to do harm to someone she loves. It turns out Jackson is an international terrorist, making Lisa a vital part of his diabolical plan for a political assassination.

Scene from Red Eye

Both the main characters play their parts convincingly and I was easily sucked in and swept away in this gripping thriller. Directed by Wes Craven, this movie exceeds the B list in both the writing of the story and in the performance of the actors. I was pleasantly surprised by my discovery of Red Eye and if you enjoy psychological thrillers, you will, too.

About Kaye Lynne Booth

For Kaye Lynne Booth, writing is a passion. Kaye Lynne is an author with published short fiction and poetry, both online and in print, including her short story collection, Last Call and Other Short Fiction; and her paranormal mystery novella, Hidden Secrets; Books 1 & 2 of her Women in the West adventure series, Delilah and Sarah, and her Time-Travel Adventure novel, The Rock Star & The Outlaw,as well as her poetry collection, Small Wonders and The D.I.Y. Author writing resource.

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

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Did you know you can sponsor your favorite blog series or even a single post with an advertisement for your book? Stop by the WtbR Sponsor Page and let me advertise your book, or you can make a donation to Writing to be Read for as little as a cup of coffee, If you’d like to show your support for this author and WordCrafter Press.

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This post is sponsored by the Midnight Anthology Series and  WordCrafter Press .

Midnight Roost: Weird and Creepy Stories: 20 authors bring your nightmares to life in 23 stories of ghosts, paranormal phenomenon and the horror from the dark crevasses of their minds. Stories of stalkers, both human and supernatural, possession and occult rituals, alien visitations of the strange kind, and ghostly tales that will give you goosebumps. These are the tales that will make you fear the dark. Read them at the Midnight Roost… if you dare. https://www.amazon.com/Midnight-Roost-Kaye-Lynne-Booth-ebook/dp/B0CL6FPLVJ

Midnight Garden: Where Dark Tales Grow: 17 authors bring you 21 magnificent dark tales. Stories of magic, monsters and mayhem. Tales of murder and madness which will make your skin crawl. These are the tales that explore your darkest fears. Read them in the Midnight Garden… if you dare. https://www.amazon.com/Midnight-Garden-Where-Tales-Anthology-ebook/dp/B0DJNDQJD3

Midnight Oil: Stories to Fuel Your Nightmares: Coming in October, 2025!