Kaye Lynne Booth's Blog: Writing to be Read, page 54

Book Review: Rise of the Dragonslayer

About the Book

From the depths of dragon’s fire 

a legendary warrior will rise

Fire destroyed her life yet ignited in her a new purpose. 

When the last ember of Rayna’s home burned out she vowed to find the dragon responsible and slay it. Orphaned and alone she gets caught up with the Forsaken Force, a band of mercenaries who do as they please. In order to stay alive, Rayna must earn their trust through demonstrated skill and a fiery spirit. 

The brothers-in-arms become like a second home until tragedy strikes again. With her need for vengeance renewed, Rayna grows even more determined to slay the dragon that burned her life or die trying. 

Rise of the Dragonslayer is a prequel to the Time of Dragons series by fantasy author Cynthia Vespia.  

My Review

Rise of the Dragon Slayer, by Cynthia Vespia is short prequel to her Time of the Dragons series, which tells readers how Rayna came to be on a quest to irradicate the last of the dragons which torment the lands of her home. I recently read and reviewed Book 1 of the series, Rayna the Dragon Slayer, (You can see my review of Rayna: Dragon Slayer here), so I was pleased to be able to read the prequel for free when I signed up for her newsletter. From what I can tell, that’s the only way to get this book, so instead of a purchase link above, I’m including the URL to sign up for her newsletter here: https://www.cynthiavespia.com/free-story

Rise of the Dragon Slayer tells the story of how it all started. It reveals the reason for Rayna’s hatred and desire for revenge of one dragon sets her on a quest for the death of all dragons. We see her face her very first dragon. It’s a short read, and I can’t say much without giving away spoilers, but I will say that I was amazed at the creative way in which she defeats the dragon, and I think you will be, too.

A perfect prequel to the Time of Dragon’s series, Rise of the Dragon Slayer is original and surprising. A thrilling dragon hunting adventure. 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.

Growing Bookworms – Tongue Twisters and a review of A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle

The benefits of Tongue Twisters for children (and adults too)What is a tongue twister?

A tongue twister is a sequence of words or sounds, usually of an alliterative kind, that are difficult to pronounce quickly and accurately.

An example of a tongue twister

One of the tongue twisters I grew up with is Peter Piper Picked a Peck of Pickled Pepper.

This is a video of the tongue twister:

Benefits of tongue twisters

Tongue twisters are fun and often results in lots of laughter, but they also have benefits for children.

Tongue twisters are a great way of introducing different consonant sounds to small children. They help pronunciation by teaching the brain how to form the necessary signals and organs of speech to make the required movements.

Regular recitation stimulates control of the muscles used for speech, ensuring clearer pronunciation of words with difficult syllables. Tongue twisters help children to decease instances of pauses in speech and reduce hesitation over pronunciation.

Listening to a parent or caregiver reciting tongue twisters helps to improve a child’s listening skills and comprehension of spoken English. Learning a tongue twister, promotes memorization which improves memory and cognitive skills.

Disadvantages of tongue twisters

The disadvantage of tongue twisters is that they take children a long time to master and thus a lot of patience from the teacher.

Did you learn tongue twisters as a child?

Did you teach tongue twisters to your children?

Let me know if the comments

My review of A Wrinkle in Time By Madeleine L’Engle

I was recommended this book by a friend of mine as I am unfamiliar with American children’s books and wanted to try a few.

I enjoyed this extraordinary science fantasy which involves three children with unique characteristics, a missing father, three fascinating good witches, time travel, different planets with unusual inhabitants and culminates in a battle for the preservation of creativity and difference against robotic sameness and loss of individuality represented by a disembodied brain called IT. I thought the author used an intriguing storyline and set of characters to support her central themes of rejection of difference and pressure to conform, the importance of love, not judging based on appearances, and that total understanding of everything in life is not possible.

Ultimately, I saw this as a book that celebrated individuality and uniqueness in people and reminded the reader about the importance of art, music, prose and poetry to society. The world of Camazotz, a world controlled by IT where sameness is glorified and exceptions to the accepted normal destroyed, is not portrayed in an appealing light. It is the main character, Meg Murray’s, individuality and difference that help save her father and brother and the greater world of humans from IT.

I liked the message of acceptance of difference in this book and think it will be a great read for all children. Reading about difference goes a long way towards acceptance.

About Robbie Cheadle

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

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

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

Book Review: Sinister Magic

About the Book

When magical bad guys hurt people, I take care of them. Permanently. 

This doesn’t make me popular with the rest of the magical community — as you can tell from the numerous break-ins and assassination attempts I’ve endured over the years. But thanks to my half-elven blood, a powerful sword named Chopper, and a telepathic tiger with an attitude, I’ve always been able to handle my problems with aplomb. Maybe some cursing and swearing, too, but definitely aplomb. 

That changes when my boss is afflicted with a mysterious disease, a government agent starts investigating me, and a godforsaken dragon shows up in the middle of my latest job. 

I’ve taken down vampires, zombies, and ogres, but dragons are way, way more powerful. And it doesn’t look like this one is going to like me. 

Worse than that, he wants to use his magic to compel me to do his bidding, as if I’m some weak-minded minion. 

That’s not going to happen. I’d die before being some dragon’s slave. 

But if I can’t figure out a way to avoid him, save my boss, and get rid of the government spook, I’m screwed. Or dead. Or screwed and dead. And that’s never comfortable. 

Purchase Links:

Amazon/Audible: https://www.amazon.com/Sinister-Magic-Fantasy-Dragon-Dragons/

Chirp: https://www.chirpbooks.com/audiobooks/eye-of-truth-by-lindsay-buroker

My Review

I listened to the audiobook of Sinster Magic, book 1 in Lyndsay Buroker’s Death Before Dragons series, narrated by Vivienne Leheny. Although I have listened to many of Buroker’s Science epic fantasy stories, this was the first urban fantasy by her that I had read. It has Buroker’s usual snark, which I love, and Leheny does a beautiful job with the narration as always, portraying a full cast of dwarves, vampires, dragons, and other dimensional tigers, as well as other supernatural beings and humans alike.

I listened to Buroker on the Six Figure Author podcast because she is a multi-genre author, and I enjoyed hearing how she handled the marketing for books of different genres. Buroker keeps her mailing lists seperate, because she believes that the readers of one genre wouldn’t be interested in reading her works in a different genre. Her co-host Adrienne Pearson does the same with her genres of fantasy and romance, too. In theory, that makes a lot of sense, but I have to say that I enjoyed this urban fantasy story just as much as I have the epic fantasy stories I have heard by her. Of course, I’m a multi-genre author, as well as a multi-genre reader, so perhaps I do not fall within the norms.

Delightfully distinctive characters and the Buroker snark makes for quite an entertaining urban fantasy story. I give Sinister Magic 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.

Writer’s Corner: Creating characters with depth

Character Development

Masterclass Articles offers eight tips for character development: establish motivation and goals, choose a voice, do a slow reveal, create conflict, create backstory for important characters, give characters believeable traits, create a visual image of characters, and give supporting characters conflicting traits. While these are all useful tips in character development, and they all kind of mesh in together, although the reveal, the visual image, and the supporting characters have more to do with the presentation of your character to readers once you have a fully developed character. You can read the full article here: https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-develop-fictional-characters#4Zt0GK2DaQjsNILtGsWJYO

There are many ways to grow and discover your characters. We will talk about two methods of character development here. One method I use are character triangles, which give characters motivation and goals. And Shadow Theory is useful in creating a history and backstory for your characters, and are useful in determining what the points on your character triangle are. Determining your characters fears or flaws attributes them with believable and relatable traits.

Character Triangles

It is important that a writer creates unique and interesting characters by giving them a history, and both internal and external conflicts that are similar and relate to the theme. No one wants characters which are flat and two-dimensional. In order to write characters with depth you must know what their motivations are, and for that, characters must have a good idea of their background or where they’ve come from, and where they are going, or what their dreams are, in order to understand who they are in your story.

Let’s take a look at one of my characters from a horror screenplay that I wrote. During the writing, I found that the characters in this piece lacked depth, and I will take you through the process I used to make them more complex and well rounded. The screenplay now sits in a virtual trunk somewhere and will likely never see the light of day, but for the purposes of demonstrating how more depth might be revealed in a character, it serves my purpose well. This is the format we use introduce a character in a screenplay, but I find it helpful to use in my fiction writing, enabling me to see how fleshed out my characters are. The words in parenthesis indicate the function a trait serves (want, need, or fear/flaw) on the character triangle, which I use to determine character motivation.

My protagonist, Justine Avery is a young journalism student who goes to stay at a purported haunted house on a dare.

This was my origianl introduction for the protagonist: JUSTINE AVERY – 24, naive, fresh out of college with a degree in video/cinematography, she thinks the chance to work on Kaylee’s documentary might be her big break (want), so she wants this gig more than anything, bad enough to take it even though she’s scared to death of what might happen (fear). She needs to keep her integrity, so she can look at herself in the mirror every morning.

Now here’s the rewrite I did to try and deepen Justine’s character: JUSTINE AVERY – 24, naive, fresh out of college with a degree in video/cinematography, she thinks the chance to work on Kaylee’s documentary could lead to her big break into the business (want), so she wants this gig more than anything, bad enough to take it even though she’s scared of blowing it (fear), because of her low self-esteem and an inability to believe in herself and her abilities (flaw). She needs to learn to believe in herself and have confidence in her talent and skill.

I think this version is a little better. I changed her fear and I gave her a fatal flaw which could be her downfall unless she can triumph over it. (And the fear is directly connected with her flaw, which ties in with my theme: Self-Reliance. This offers her the potential for the needed transformation in the scene where her boyfriend, Mitch, forbids her to go on the gig and she chooses to walk away.)

It shouldn’t take much to also work in the details of her added backstory, which isn’t in my original bio for her: Raised by controlling, overbearing parents, she learned early in life that it is easier to go with the flow than to risk tipping the boat over with resistance. Currently in a relationship with Mitch, an overbearing, controlling guy who managed to turn their first overnight date into his moving in party so smoothly, Justine still isn’t sure how it happened. Mitch is verbally and emotionally abusive to her, but he derides her so much, she has come to believe the things he says about her and she harbors huge doubts about her own self-worth.

Justine is beginning to seem more like a character with some depth and we can get some idea of what motivates her actions. Allowing her a flaw of low self-esteem not only turned her into an imperfect human, but it offers her the choice of staying in a stagnant relationship and continuing to employ behaviors which are no longer effective, or transforming into the self-reliant woman hinted at in that early scene with Mitch. It is much clearer now what her arc will be, and it’s all tied in with the theme.

The character triangle which I use represents this transformation loosely, depicting the character’s want and need, which are not the same, although the character may believe that they are, and their fear or flaw, which is an obstacle to be overcome in order to achieve the character’s want. The want is the concious desire that motivates the character, while the need may not be so obvious, because their need is subconcious and the character may not realize that their need exists. The need is what the character ends up with, and is often in opposition to what the character desires.

Shadow Theory

Another method that seems to work well in creating in-depth or complex characters is the shadow theory of character building, which is the idea which delves into the hidden or repressed aspects of a character, and these traits usually play a part in the character tranformation which must occur for the character to complete their arc. I’ve been experimenting with incorporating this method into my own character developemnet.

This theory claims that traits that are apparent on the outside, have an exact opposite trait residing on a subconcious level, and the two opposites may be in conflict-kind of like the two little guys sitting on the character’s shoulders, telling him what to do. This type of depth is often revealed through subtext, because the dialog is what the character says, but it may conflict with what they are actually thinking.

K.M. Weiland explains it this way – “I call this trick shadow theory, and it’s simply this: whatever is visible in a person’s external personality is an indication that the exact opposite resides in the shadow.” You can learn more about the shadow theory, which stems from the theories of human behaviors developed by Carl Jung and how to use shadow theory to create deeper and more complex characters here: “How to Create Insanely Complex Characters Using “Shadow Theory”“

Both of these methods can be used to delve into your characters and give them depth and complexity. I have used just the character triangle to shape my characters

In next month’s segment of “Writer’s Corner”, we’ll talk about the visceral portrayal of your characters , which will cover the Matips we didn’t hit on here, so be sure to drop by.

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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; and book 1 of her Women in the West adventure series, Delilah. 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: Blindfold

The Book

Atlas is a struggling colony on an untamable world, a fragile society held together by the Truthsayers. Parentless, trained from birth as the sole users of Veritas, a telepathy virus that lets them read the souls of the guilty. Truthsayers are Justice—infallible, beyond appeal.

But sometimes they are wrong.

Falsely accused of murder, Troy Boren trusts the young Truthsayer Kalliana…until, impossibly, she convicts him. Still shaken from a previous reading, Kalliana doesn’t realize her power is fading. But soon the evidence becomes impossible to ignore. The Truthsayers’ Veritas has been diluted and someone in the colony is selling smuggled telepathy. Justice isn’t blind—it’s been blinded.

From an immortal’s orbital prison to the buried secrets of a regal fortress, Kalliana and Troy seek the conspiracy that threatens to destroy their world from within. For without truth and justice, Atlas will certainly fall…

Purchase Link:

https://www.amazon.com/Blindfold-Kevin-J-Anderson-ebook/dp/B004XEKHFC

My Review

Blindfold, by Kevin J. Anderson takes place on the colony of Atlas, where the lands are divided among several landowners, each doing his part to make Atlas run like a well oiled machine, but not everyone plays by the rules. Killiana is a young Truthsayer who, comes to believe that her mindreaading powers may have falsely convicted Troy Boren, a young man who was in the wrong place at the wrong time. When she unwittingly uncovers that one landowner isn’t playing fair and may soon take over control of the colony, she finds herself a fugitive with Troy, as they fight to uncover the truth.

As all of Anderson’s works, Blindfold is well written and skillfully crafted to emmerse readers in the story. It keeps the reader guessing, and that keeps pages turning. 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.

I Still Have Ideas In My Mindfield

Untitled

I don’t’ want to write a poem.

I want to climb the nearest hill and stand

there, mute.  Inside myself I will be screaming at the shape

of the world.  Outside: nothing.  Silence. 

I won’t write a poem.  I will hold my tongue.

Ukraine is flaming but there is music and art in Kiev. Wars hate poems.  Poets hate wars.

On top of the hill I howl in silence

at the awful suffering. 

No poem necessary.  In the face of this calamity poetry is silly.

If war is poetic then explosions are its vowels.  (It’s hard

to make that language work.)  An explosion/poem will not detonate here

any time soon.

Clouds

Every day

the clouds change shape.

They change color, size, patterns, density,

Every day.  I can’t help but wonder

that I’m not blasted from my body

by such beauty

painting the sky forever.

How can I see this and continue\

without bowing to the majesty of it,

the creation of a world above our heads

that heralds the appearance of night’s beads

as they are strung onto the circlet of the dark.

About the Author

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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Wordcrafter News: “The Rock Star & The Outlaw” and “Midnight Roost”

The Rock Star & The Outlaw Kickstarter campaign ending soon

There are just a few days left for you to join in on our campaign! The more we raise, the more rewards we can offer. With the campaign ending soon, it’s almost the last chance to show support for author and project. The deadline is 8/31/23, so don’t miss out on the opportunity to get an early digital copy of the book, a signed print copy, an interview with the author, posters and so much more, available exclusively through the campaign.

The Rock Star & The Outlaw won’t release through distributors until September 18, so it is only available through my Kickstarter at this time. So click on the Kickstarter to learn more about this rocking time-travel adventure.

You can check it out here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/kayelynnebooth-wcp/the-rock-star-and-the-outlaw?ref=user_menu

About The Rock Star & The Outlaw

The Rock Star and The Outlaw is a story from my heart, inspired by the music of The Pretty Reckless, which is my favorite band. It’s a time-travel adventure. Amaryllis Sanchez is a rock Star in 2025. LeRoy McAllister is an outlaw from 1887. They’re both running from the law and other outlaws in their respective times and when they meet, it’s a non-stop adventure through time.

Check out the book trailer video on the Kickstarter page to learn more.

The Rock Star & The Outlaw Book TrailerMore About the Book

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.

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 the Author

For Kaye Lynne Booth, writing is her passion. It is a very strange time indeed when Kaye Lynne does not have at least three WIPs, in addition to her other writings, teaching and other life activities. Kaye Lynne lives, works and plays in the beautiful mountains of Colorado.

Visit her author’s blog and website, “Writing to be Read” to learn more about Kaye Lynne Booth and her writing. https://kayelynnebooth.wordpress.com/

Release through distributors & book blog tour

If you miss the Kickstarter, The Rock Star & The Outlaw will release through distributors on September 19, 2023, and to celebrate, well be running a WordCrafter Book Blog Tour September 18-22.

Coming Soon: Midnight Roost

The 2023 WordCrafter Anthology, Midnight Roost will be scheduled for release October 17, 2023. This anthology of weird and creepy stories features works by talented authors including Zack Ellafy, Chris Barili, Joseph Carrabis, DL Mullan, Christa Planko, Paul Kane, Sonia Pipkin, C.R. Johansson, Roberta Eaton Cheadle, Patty Fletcher, Keith J. Hoskins, Denise Aparo, Julie Jones, Rebecca M. Senese, Mario Acevedo, Kaye Lynne Booth, Michaele Jordan,  Robert Kostaczuk. Midnight Roost also features the winning story from the 2023 WordCrafter Short Fiction Contest, “Red Door House”, by Isabel Grey. More to come in next month’s “WordCrafter News”.

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Want exclusive content? Join Kaye Lynne Booth & 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: Fighting for Anna

About the Book

A murdered art dealer.

A missing love child.

Can Michele close the book on her neighbor’s mysterious past before a killer sets his sights on her?

With her kids away for the summer, widow Michele Lopez Hanson struggles with her newfound solitude. When her unmarried retired neighbor Gidget asks her to document her career in the art world, she’s eager for the company…and the advice on coping with an empty nest. But their trek down memory lane turns into a missing person search when Gidget dies and leaves behind a will that tasks Michele with finding her long-lost love child.

Before the casket lid closes, she feels a wave of sympathy for the endless stream of mourners from Gidget’s days as a high-powered art dealer. But when she learns the murderous truth behind Gidget’s death and she’s named the prime suspect, Michele realizes any one of the grieving artists and collectors could be the love child’s mystery father or her neighbor’s killer. To complete the memoir and clear her name, Michele must discover the ugly motives behind the picture-perfect murder before she joins her friend six feet under.

Purchase Links

Audible: https://www.amazon.com/Fighting-Anna-Michele-Hanson-Mystery/dp/B0BB89F8TC

Special Chirp Link (For first time users – $1): https://www.chirpbooks.com/r/9b5f75e1f1f8/link

My Review

I listened to the audiobook edition of Fighting for Anna, a Michelle Lopez Hanson mystery, by Pamela Fagan and narrated by Natalie Gray. I was immersed in this story from the very first chapter, when Michelle finds her elderly neighbor dead and the deputy she reports it to is so hostile toward her, foreshadowing the accusation later that she is the murderer. This story is well crafted with an intricately woven plot, and a diverse set of distinctive characters.

Michelle’s nieghbor is an elderly lady who was once the belle of the Houston art scene, who wants Michelle Lopez Hanson to be her biographer. But when Michelle and her kids find her neighbor dead, things begin to turn strange. Especially when it is revealed that Michelle was named as the beneficiary in the neighbor’s will and Michelle makes it her personal mission to make sure the woman, Anna’s, last wishes are fulfilled. When it is revealed thaat Anna was poisoned and Michelle is arrested for the murder, things really begin to heat up, and it just keeps getting hotter as Michelle with each clue that Michelle uncovers.

Natalie Gray has a wonderful voice which matches what I thought the character of Michelle Lopez Hanson would sound like. In addition, she manages distinctive voices for each character, and paces the story well.

An audiobook that will keep you listening to the very last page. Well crafted to keep you guessing, with just enough twists to maintain anticipation throughout. I give Fighting For Anna five quills.

(The Special Chirp Link above was given to me for sharing this book with others by Chirp. It offers this audiobook for $1 to new Chirp users, but it is regularly priced for repeat customers. I receive no monetary compensation or gain if you use it.)

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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.

Dark Origins – “Who Killed Cock Robin” an English nursery rhyme #darkorigins #nurseryrhymes

Picture caption: H. L. Stephens – From The Project Gutenberg eBook, Death and Burial of Poor Cock Robin, by H. L. Stephens http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/17060

“Who Killed Cock Robin” is an English nursery rhyme which is believed to be ancient although the earliest record of the rhyme is in Tommy Thumb’s Pretty Song Book published in 1744. This version only contained the first four verses. The longer version was first printed in approximately 1770.

You can listen to a lovely rendition of “Who Killed Cock Robin” here:

Alternatively, these are the lyrics:

Who killed Cock Robin?
I, said the Sparrow,
with my bow and arrow,
I killed Cock Robin.

Who saw him die?
I, said the Fly,
with my little teeny eye,
I saw him die

Who caught his blood?
I, said the Duck,
It was just my luck,
I caught his blood.

Who’ll make the shroud?
I, said the Beetle,
With my thread and needle,
I’ll make the shroud.

Who’ll dig his grave?
I, said the Owl,
With my pick and trowel,
I’ll dig his grave.

Who’ll be the parson?
I, said the Rook,
With my little book,
I’ll be the parson.

Who’ll be the clerk?
I, said the Lark,
if it’s not in the dark,
I’ll be the clerk.

Who’ll carry the link?
I, said the Linnet,
I’ll fetch it in a minute,
I’ll carry the link.

Who’ll be chief mourner?
I, said the Dove,
I mourn for my love,
I’ll be chief mourner.

Who’ll carry the coffin?
I, said the Kite,
If it’s not through the night,
I’ll carry the coffin.

Who’ll bear the pall?
I, said the Crow,
With the cock and the bow,
I’ll bear the pall.

Who’ll sing a psalm?
I, said the Thrush,
As she sat on a bush,
I’ll sing a psalm.

Who’ll toll the bell?
I, said the Bull,
Because I can pull,
I’ll toll the bell.

All the birds of the air
fell a-sighing and a-sobbing,
when they heard the bell toll
for poor Cock Robin.

There is an alternative ending in which the sparrow who killed Cock Robin is hanged for his crime.

Dark Origins

Despite the earliest known record of this nursery rhyme being in 1744, there is some evidence that it may be much older.

A 15th century stained glass window in Buckland Rectory, Gloucestershire depicts the death of a robin by an arrow.

Picture credit: Corpus Vitrearum Medii Aevi Medieval Stained Glass in Great Britain https://www.cvma.ac.uk/jsp/location.do?locationKey=13&mode=COUNTY . The central diamond depicts a bird with an arrow in its chest and the diamond on the right depicts a bird holding an arrow – Is it a sparrow?

There are similarities between this nursery rhyme and a poem, Phyllyp Sparowe, written by John Skelton in 1508 which is about the death of the narrator’s pet bird.

There are a number of different theories about the meaning of the nursery rhyme. Some believe it is a parody of the death of King William II who was killed by an arrow which hunting in the New Forest (Hampshire) in 1100. King William was known as William Rufus which means “red”.

Another possibility is that the rhyme relates to the fall of Robert Walpole’s government in 1742. Robin is a short form of Robert. Robert Walpole, 1st Earl of Orford and known as Sir Robert Walpole between 1725 and 1742, was a British statesman and Whig politician and is generally regarded as the first Prime Minister of Great Britain. You can read more about Robert Walpole here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Walpole

Another alternative is that the nursery rhyme was inspired by ancient myths and legends:

The rhyme could record a mythological event such as the death of the god, Balder, from Norse mythology or the ritual sacrifice of a king as proposed in “The Cutty Wren” theory of a ‘pagan survival’. “The Cutty Wren” is a traditional English folk song which is believed to represent the human sacrifice of the year king or the slaughter of a wren, king of the birds, at the end of the year as a symbolic subsitute.

According to Celtic traditions, Lugh, the sun god who dies as the nights get longer after the summer solstice is depicted with a bow-and-arrow shape. Lugh represented the red sun and was known in Welsh as “Coch Rhi Ben” or Cock Robin. The sparrow who kills him may represent Bran the Blessed, the god of winter in the form of a raven.

About Roberta Eaton Cheadle

Award-winning, bestselling author, 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 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 also has thirteen children’s books and two 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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/RobertaEaton17

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

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

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Tales From the Bird Sanctuary: Summer fun

It was a busy summer in the bird sanctuary, with many, many visitors, some the old reliables I’ve I’ve seen before, but also some new faces and today, i’d like to share some of them with you.

Unidentifed Warbler Juvinelle White Nuthatch Unidentified Baby Black-Headed Grossbeak American Robin Western Tananger Woodpecker Hummingbird Turkey Vulture

I’ve had the little yellow-bellied warblers in the first photo this year for the first time. I think they are warblers, but have been unable to identify the type as yet. White Nuthatches are year round residents. The one in the photo is a juvenille. I always talk about seeing babies, but in truth, I never see the babies. If they are old enough to be where I can see them, they are juvenilles, but they are still awfully cute and I enjoy watching them.The third photo is an unidentified baby or juvenille. I would guess it to be some type of wren. You can tell it is a young one because of the ruffled appearance caused by the fine baby feathers which haven’t all been shed.Black-Headed Grossbeaks are summer residents and I’ve seen several youngsters raised each summer. They are gluttons who like to clean out my feeders. The one in the photo sat there eating for a long time, hogging up the whole feeder.I watch for the American Robins to return as a sure sign that spring has arrived. They have babies twice a year, so I’ve watched several Robin families grow up, and although I can’t be sure, I think the babies return as adults to raise their own families the next year.The Western Tanager is one of the most colorful birds I’ve ever seen in the wild. Although I have seen them in years past occassionally, this year, I had them in droves. I believe I mentioned this in my last post from the sanctuary, when talking of my colorful trees.Woodpeckers are frequent visitors, and some years they nest in the sanctuary. The one in the seventh photo is either a Strickland’s or a Nutall’s Woodpecker. I’m not sure which.Hummingbird’s and welcome visitors every year. The green-backed Rufus Hummingbirds arrive in the spring, even earlier than the Robins. In July, I get the Allen’s Humminbirds, which are orange and more aggressive. When they arrive the skies become a flyzone as the Hummingbird wars begin. The one in the eighth photo is a Rufus Humminbird who stopped to perch atop a Mullien plant and say good morning.The Turkey Vulture was a surprise visitor which I had only seen one other time. They are birds, but not the kind I put out food for, so they usually don’t pay the santuary much mind. But this guy dropped in unexpectedly and hung out a few minutes, long enough for me to snap some photos. When he flew away, his wingspan was huge. They are ugly, but majestic birds, bigger than hawks, but perhaps about the size of eagles.In the first picture below you see both a woodpecker and a Cassin’s Finch. Woodpeckers often hang on the bottom of the feeder as their size makes perching difficult. They also hang from the hummingbird feeders, not for the nectar, but for the ants that it attracts. The Cassin’s Finch always look to me like someone splashed red paint over their heads, a glimpse of bright red or pink in a sea of green pine boughs.On the ground in the second picture below is a juvenille mourning dove from the second batch of babies I’ve seen this year.

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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; and book 1 of her Women in the West adventure series, Delilah. 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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