Kaye Lynne Booth's Blog: Writing to be Read, page 57

Book Review: In the Tree’s Shadow: A Collection of Stories That Exist in Your Dreams…and Nightmares

About the Book

A collection of short stories where dreams and nightmares coexist.
Nestled inside these pages, you’ll meet a couple in their golden years who take a trip with an unexpected detour, a boy desperate to give his brother the Christmas gift he asked for, a girl with a small glass dragon who is at the mercy of her cruel uncles, and a young mother who has a recurring dream about murder. You’ll be introduced to worlds where people get second chances and monsters might be allowed their desires, while angels and dragons try to help. Happy endings occur, but perspective can blur the line between good and evil in these twenty-seven tales. Since the stories vary between 99 and 12,000 words, whether you have only five minutes or an entire evening to settle into reading, there is something that will suit your time and taste.

Purchase Link: https://www.amazon.com/Trees-Shadow-collection-stories-nightmares

My Review

In The Tree’s Shadow: A Collection of Stories that Exist in Your Dreams, by D.L. Finn, is filled with stories with magical qualities, stories that we only dream about…, and some, that we hope we never dream about. Some of the tales in this collection will leave readers feeling good all over and full of hope, but others will give you the chills. Filled with tales of angels and aliens, ghosts and supernatural beings, this multi-genre story collection has a little something for everyone.

I don’t like to give spoilers and with short stories, it can be hard to tell you a little about the story without doing so. In the Tree’s Shadow has several 99 word stories, which would be sure giveaway, should I try to tell you about them. So I will give you a brief decription for those I thought to be the best of the bunch.

Among those which stand out for me are:

“End of the Road”, which is ironically the paranormal tale of a new beginning. This story leaves reader’s with a good feeling.“A Man on the Peer”, which is a spooky ghostly tale with a warning – Never speak to the man on the peer.“The Dolphin”, which is a hopeful paranormal tale of a lovely ever after.“Lyrical Dragon”, a fantasy tale offering an abused girl escape through a magical talisman.“The Bench” is one of the stories which animal lovers will enjoy as the bench becomes a symbol of love. This story is one the reader will walk away with an overall good feeling.“The Boy”, another tragic ghostly tale offering escape from a bad situation. This story may give you shivers and leave you a little sad.“Deadline” is a paranormal tale about finding answers in dreams. The reason this story stood out for me was the killer first line: “The night’s hand slowly gripped the forest.” How can anyone read that line and not be compelled to read more?“The Bike” is an angelic second chance story which proves sometimes intent weighs heavier than actions.“Alone” is a paranormal tale with a surprising twist that will leave you with a smile.“The Bonsai” is another karmic paranormal tale that will appeal to the animal lover in all. This story is another that will leave readers smiling.

I’m a sucker for paranormal and fantasy, and looking over my list, I discovered that none of the stories with sci-fi aliens made it up there. It’s a matter of personal preference. However, there was one alien story of novelette length, “Stranded”, which was very well thought out, that is worth mention here, as well.

I realize that the list above is not as revealing as some may like, but I feel that with short fiction, it’s best to let you read it for yourself and decide. I found the stories in In the Tree’s Shadow to be quite entertaining whether they were tales from your dreams, or or ones found in nightmares. I give it four quills.

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

Writer’s Life: Welcome Timber Line

I got a new puppy!

I have felt for some time that I needed a dog to stand watch over my mountain home, but I wasn’t ready to make that emotional investment into another dog. After Zaar passed, and the Turrillium followed so close behind, it hurt to even think about getting attached to another pet.

After a lifetime of owning dogs, and having these two heelers for over a decade, I suddenly felt very vulnerable. I’d always relied on my dogs to let me know if someone was there, and to keep the deer and rabbits ouot of my garden, and to keep the rodents from destroying all of my belongings. I don’t always trust my own senses, and my dogs had always served as a warning system, should someone come onto my property unannounced, or should the area bear happen to wander through.

Now, I am finally able to give my heart to another canine. In fact, I couldn’t help it once I saw the little fella in the photo above, and he is the newest addition to my family. I traveled over 100 miles to get him, and watched him sleep most of the way home.

When we arrived at his new home, Timber met Rowdy, the cat. Rowdy wasn’t too interested in Timber, but Timber sure was interested in Rowdy. (Although Rowdy won’t admit it, he really likes the puppy. He’s very gentle with him.)

Even more than the cat, Timber was interested in my ankle. He wants to chew on everything, and his little puppy teeth are sharp.

I decided to introduce him to the duck. The duck was a chew toy of Turrillium’s and the dang thing is bigger than Timber, but that doesn’t stop him from beating it up and carrying it around, although I think the duck gets the better of him every once in a while. He, he, he.

Timber is pretty smart. I’ve had him for three days, and he already knows where his bed is. Whenever he gets tired, which is often, because puppies sleep a lot, he goes and gets in his bed with his duck all by himself. It’s a good thing puppies do sleep a lot, because this old woman gets worn out easily, too.

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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.

Writer’s Corner: It’s all in the cover

The Shopping Experience

When I was a kid, my mom and my grandmother would pile into the car, and we’d drive to the mall, and we’d spend the afternoon going from one store to the next, carefully making our shopping selections. I remember how my mother would pick up items and carefully examine the packaging to be sure she had the correct item that she wanted or needed, before making the final purchase.

A lot has changed since then. The rise of the internet turned the whole shopping experience upside-down with the birth of online shopping. And then, COVID came along and even those resistant rebels, who enjoyed holding possible purchases in their hands and analyzing the packaging to determine whether or not to buy it were forced to shop online, or go without.

The Cover is the Packaging

As authors, we are faced with similar dilimmas. We write books, and the covers are the packaging. The cover is the first thing a potential reader sees, and if it doesn’t immediately grab their attention, there is a whole slew of other books out there to choose from, and they’re gone. Many readers still enjoy the feel of a physical book in their hands, that will never change, but digital readers judge books by their covers, too, because an image of the cover is the first thing any of us see, whether online or in a brick-and-mortar stores. And just like those in person, physical shoppers who hold and feel the product, read the label, and check out the packaging, readers look over the cover, read the blurb and back cover copy, maybe even take a quick peek inside, before deciding whether or not this book is for them.

When I was listening to the 6 Figure Author podcast with Lindsay Buroker, Joe Lollal, and Andrea Pearson, there was one piece of advice which I heard over and over consistently. If your book isn’t selling look at the cover and the back cover copy first. That is probably where you will find the problem. And they’re right.

We don’t have the space here to talk about the back cover copy. That subject is deserving of a post of its own. In fact, I did last year. If you want to start exploring back cover copy, see my “Review in Practice” here.

What Makes a Good Cover?

More advice given by the 6 Figure Author crew: Go onto Amazon and take a look at the top selling books in your genre. This will give you an idea of what kind of covers are expected in the genre. This is good advice, but what it means, is that a good cover for one genre will not be good for another. As a multi-genre author, this was important to know.

I think a cover should be representative of the story it represents, not only the genre on which the story falls. While a good cover needs to meet genre representation and follow the laws of good cover design, a good cover also contains elements of the story itself in its composition. I’ve developed this belief over time from my own experiences, as I’ve learned to design my own covers. Here is where I add my disclaimer that I am not a professional cover designer. (Of course, when you see my covers, you could probably guess that.) Everything I’ve learned about cover design, I’ve picked up on my own. I’ve had no formal training.

To show you what I mean, let’s take a look at the early covers for Delilah.Cover 1

This is the cover my publisher wanted to give Delilah. The text is stiff and rigid, but my story is a western adventure with action and movement. I was hoping for something a little more fluid.

Anyone who has read the book would take one look and know that isn’t Delilah. This is a contemporary cowgirl. Note the modern jean jacket and hoop earings.

As covers go, the design isn’t bad, but it does not represent the story inside. As a first time author, I knew I didn’t want to publish my book with this cover, so I hustled to come up with a cover at the last minute.

Cover 2

A friend offered to come up with a cover for me on the fly. What did I want it to look like? I had no idea what I wanted. What should a western cover look like? I gave her some vague instructions. Unsure of what I needed myself. This is the cover she produced for me.

The title is much more fluid and I liked that. It offered a feminine touch that said female protagonist, yet was still bold and active, sort of like my character.

The cover image was vague, possibly due to the vague instructions my friend had been given, and I had several people see it and claim they couldn’t tell what it was. I thought it was obviously a horse, representative of the western genre, and perhaps of Delilah’s horse, which becomes sort of a supporting character in the story.

So, this cover was kind of representative of the story, I liked the text better, and it would do in a pinch. I felt the publisher’s cover to be very misleading, and as a reader I would have been surprised when I found that it didn’t match the story, or more likely, I would never even pick it up because the cover does not represent a historic western, and I don’t read a lot of contemporary.

Cover 3

Eventually, I tried my hand at creating my own cover. This was my first attempt. This cover was representative of the story and it had elements which were actually part of the story. It has both prison gates and a hangman’s noose in the background.

But the text isn’t large enough. Both the title and the author’s name should stand out more. Something I learned from Allyson Langueira of WMG Publishing was that you should be able to read the title and author name in a thumbnail. It’s got to look good small. So my text definitely needed to be bigger.

The sillohuette stood out too much in the black & white version, so I added that putrid yellow, thinking of sunlight, just to give it some color. And my sillohuette isn’t doing much of anything. Better, but not great.

I will say my publisher was pretty gracious about switching covers for me. This was the third cover switch for this book, but it wasn’t selling, and the cover was the only thing I had control over that might help. This cover was better than the covers Delilah had had so far, but I had to admit it was not the ideal cover for the book.

We were coming to the end of my five year contract with the publisher, and Delilah had not done well in the sales department. I decided not to renew my contract, as I felt I could do better with it myself. Although the publisher claimed to have done promos, I never saw them. If Delilah was going to do well, I was going to have to promote it myself.

Final Cover

Almost a year later, a revised Delilah, closer to the original I had intended, was released as a part of the Women in the West adventure series. This is the cover I designed for the re-released edition.

The fluidity of the text and the illusion of a moving horse indicate movement. This Delilah is not stagnant, but on the move. She busting out of those prison gates and moving away from that noose fast. In this way, the cover almost tells a summary of the story for me.

The bars have been faded back in this version, so the cover doesn’t look too busy. The woman looks a little bit like a contemporary cowgirl, but not as uch as the publisher’s cover did.

Was it the Cover?

In January, I ran a Kickstarter campaign for Delilah and the Women in the West adventure series, which funded, so apparently, I do have a few die hard fans and/or friends out there. During that thirty-day campaign, I sold more copies of Delilah than my publisher managed to do over the period of my five year contract. That doesn’t count copies that sold after the release through distributors, as a result of the book blog tour and other promotinal efforts. It’s not like Delilah became an overnight bestseller, but I do find it curious that in only a few months, this edition of the book has outsold what all of the others did across a five year period. There are other things that could have been the cause of these results, like the new back cover copy, or my extended promotional efforts. So, was it the cover? What do you think?

Covers for the Series

At the time when the Kickstarter ran, I had been playing with the cover for Sarah a little bit, but I had to throw together a cover for the third book, Marta; a story for which I only had a vague concept for, so I only had a very rough draft of a cover to display for the Kickstarter campaign.

I said that part of the money raised in the Kickstarter, would go to redesign the covers for the series. I had two different cover designers, who both stepped down due to personal issues, but I found a cover designer friend who was willing to offer some pointers, so I ended up redesigning them myself. Here is the final result. I think you’ll agree that these covers are much better and I feel that they feel like they go together, and each seems to represent the series brand.

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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.

WordCrafter Press Independence Day Sale

Purchase Links

Visions: https://books2read.com/u/49Lk28

Once Upon an Ever After – Modern Fairy Tales & Folklore: https://books2read.com/u/mKdWGV

Refracted Reflections – Twisted Tales of Duality & Deception: https://books2read.com/u/3kPyxn

Four Days Only

Spark off this Independence Day with spectacular anthologies from WordCrafter Press at discounted prices, July 1 – 4. Click on the links above to purchase the anthology of your choice. Choose from three sparkling anthologies:

Visions

An author’s visions are revealed through their stories. Many authors have strange and unusual stories, indeed. Within these pages, you will find the stories of eighteen different authors, each unique and thought provoking. These are the fantasy, science fiction, paranormal, and horror stories that will keep you awake long into the night.

What happens when:

An inexplicable monster plagues a town for generations, taking people… and souvenirs?

A post-apocalyptic band of travelers finds their salvation in an archaic machine?

JThe prey turns out to be the predator for a band of human traffickers?

Someone chooses to be happy in a world where emotions are regulated and controlled?

A village girl is chosen to be the spider queen?

Grab your copy today and find out. Let authors such as W.T. Paterson, Joseph Carabis, Kaye Lynne Booth, Michaele Jordan, Stephanie Kraner, and others, including the author of the winning story in the WordCrafter 2022 Short Fiction Contest, Roberta Eaton Cheadle, tantalize your thoughts and share their

Visions

Once Upon an Ever After: Modern Fairy Tales & Folklore

This unique and imaginative collection of eleven thought provoking fantasy stories will delight readers who enjoy stories of wishes gone awry.

What happens when…

A woman desires to carry on her family’s legacy, uncovering a long-buried curse?

A not so perfect witch casts a spell to defy age and preserve her relationship with her handsome shapeshifting familiar?

A time traveler longs to be the savior of knowledge lost?

An incompetent delivery boy becomes an unlikely savior of forgotten artifacts?

A magic mirror yearns for a different question?

A tiny story witch desires to share her stories with the world?

Spells are cast, unlikely alliances made, and wishes granted, sometimes with surprising outcomes. You’ll love this anthology of modern myths, lore, and fairy tales. Once you read these twisted tales, you’ll be careful what you wish for….

Refracted Reflections: Twisted Tales of Duality & Deception

Refractions and Reflections…

A reflection can be revealing or deceptive. What stares back at you when you glance into the mirror?

A prison, designed to trap you and take away all that is dear to you?

A portal to another dimension? Another time?

An evil twin, luring you to the other side?

Your loved ones with a fond farewell?

A distorted version of yourself? A person you no longer even recognize?

A protective savior?

Do you dare to gaze into the looking glass?

Will what you see save you…, or haunt you forever?

Book Review: Nights of the Living Dead

About The Book

“Horror fans will find plenty to love” (AudioFile) in “this masterly collection of tales” (Library Journal). The genre’s most important writers — including Jonathan Maberry, Neal Shusterman, Chuck Wendig, Mira Grant, and more — revisit the classic 1968 film to provide 19 chilling, gruesome stories that will have you listening with the lights on… Performed by a talented cast of narrators!

Purchase Link: https://www.chirpbooks.com/audiobooks/nights-of-the-living-dead-by-jonathan-maberry-and-george-a-romero

My Review

If you’re in the mood for a good zombie-fest, Nights of the Living Dead, edited by Jonathan Maberry and Oscar Romero might just be the audio anthology for you. Zombies are having feeding frenzies in all their ghoulish glory, and it’s open season on the walking dead. Edited by the godfather of zombie madness, George A. Romero and the ring master of classic horror, Jonathan Maberry, this is short fiction collection that just keeps coming with flesh eating terror that refuses to die.

I listened to the audio book version, and multiple narrators were used to bring each story in this anthology to life, making each one not just readings, but true performances. There is something to please every lover of zombie stories everywhere in this collection, but the ones which stood out for me were:

A Dead Girl Named Sue, by Craig E. Engler, where small town grudges turn into a macabre plan for vengeance. In that Quiet Earth, by Mike Carey, is a zombie love story not soon forgotten.Dead Man’s Curve, by Joe R. Landsdale, where a girl is just as tough as the guys, maybe tougher, and she can drive better, too.Orbital Decay, by David Wellington, is the ultimate space zombie story.Jimmy J. Baxter’s Last Best Day on Earth, by John Skipp, where a bigoted fool gets his just desserts.Lone Soldier, by Jonathan Maberry, where a soldier, left for dead, learns to survive by putting his combat skills to good use.Live and On the Scene, by Keith de Candido, where a reporter covers the apocalypse a little too closely.You Can Stay All Day, by Mira Grant, where a day at the zoo takes on a whole new meaning.Deadliner, by Neil and Brandon Shusterman, takes you to a real live, or at least undead, zombie circus.

If you can’t get enough of the zombie apocalypse, then settle in as the masters of horror and speculative fiction who contributed here, take you to the land of the undead, again and again. Featuring stories by Romero and Maberry, in addition to horror greats such as Kieth R.A. DeCandido, Carrie Ryan, John A. Russo, Brian Keene, Chuck Wendigo to name a few. It’s open season on the undead, and these zombie hunters are pulling out all the stops, with blood, guts and brains galore.

Zombie fans everywhere will want to be sure and catch this classic tradition collection of zombie fiction. I give the audio edition of Nights of the Living Dead 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.

Dark Origins – The Second Mrs Astor, New York high society and the sinking of the Titanic

The Titanic has been in the press again recently and has claimed five more lives. If you are out of the loop about this disaster, you can read about it here: https://www.reuters.com/world/search-intensifies-titanic-sub-with-only-hours-oxygen-left-2023-06-22/.

This disaster prompted me to write about a book I recently read, The Second Mrs Astor, and its dark origins.

Available from Amazon here: https://www.amazon.com/Second-Mrs-Astor-Novel-Titanic/dp/1496732049

The Second Mrs Astor is a work of historical fiction by Shana Abe. It depicts the romance between the hugely wealthy John Jacob Astor IV and his second and very young wife, Madeleine Force Astor.

There are two aspects to this extraordinarily fine piece of fictionalised history that caught my attention: the snotty and superior attitudes of New York society created by John Astor IV’s mother, Caroline Schermerhorn Astor, and the sinking of the Titanic which claimed the lives of John Astor IV, his valet, and his dog, Kitty. Madeleine Force Astor, who was pregnant at the time, survived the disaster.

A History of New York’s high society in the late 19th century

New York high society started with The Four Hundred, a list of New York’s biggest names which achieved highly-coveted invitations to one of Mrs Caroline Astor’s most lavish parties in her Fifth Avenue mansion. At this time, called the Gilded Age, the Astor family were considered to be Manhattan’s old money – being one of the first Dutch settlers on the island, and they held the prestigious title of a true ‘Knickerbocker’ or a native New Yorker.

Caroline Astor was the ultimate authority of New York society at the time and many high-profile names from America’s 1 percent competed for a seat at her table. Once of these people was Ava Belmont, previously Ava Vanderbilt from the Vanderbilt railroad fortune, who tried to overthrow Caroline Astor thereby creating the most notorious high society rivalry in the late 19th century.

New York high society owned lavish summer homes in Newport, Rhode Island and enormous mansions in the heart of Midtown Manhattan and were known for their extreme extravagance.

Early romance between John Astor IV and Madeleine Force

Madeleine Force was 17 years old when she met John Astor IV. She came from a wealthy family who were part of Brooklyn high-society but was several rungs down the social ladder from the Astor’s.

At the time, John Astor IV was 47 years old and a divorcee with two children. At that time, divorce was considered to be scandalous by the clergy and high society.

Madeleine Force accepted John Astor IV’s marriage proposal despite the open disapproval of his societal circle and the malignant scrutiny of the press.

The early part of the couples marriage made for sad and difficult reading as Madeleine struggles to cope with social ostracism. This all happens against a background of outrageous privilege and extravagance. Both aspects made me angry as a reader.

The pair then went on an extended honeymoon to Egypt and elect to return to New York on the Titanic.

Madeleine Force Astor. Picture from Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madeleine_Astor John Jacob Astor IV, his wife, Madeleine Force Astor, and their dog, Kitty. Picture from Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madeleine_AstorThe sinking of the Titanic

Madeleine Astor was five months pregnant when she boarded the Titanic with her husband at Cherbourg, France. They were first class passengers. On the night of the 14th of April 1912, John Astor woke his wife and informed her that the Titanic had hit an iceberg. He reassured her that the damage did not seem serious, but he made her put on a life jacket. Madeleine Astor, her nurse and maid managed to board lifeboat 4 by crawling through the first-class promenade window. John Astor asked if he could accompany his wife as she was pregnant but his request was refused.

John Astor and his valet died in the sinking and his body was recovered on the 22nd of April.

The author’s descriptions of life aboard the Titanic before it struck the iceberg, and of the three hours during which the great ship sank are very compelling. I felt as if I was on that ship experiencing the cold, fear, and loss.

Of the estimated 2,200 people aboard the Titanic more than 1,500 died.

A quote from The Second Mrs Astor:

“The best memory I have about Titanic was that she was so large. So epic. I never felt any swaying or bobbing or turbulence to interfere with my meals, my sensitive appetite, or my slumber. I never felt any sort of vulnerability aboard that ocean liner, right up until the very end. I imagine that’s a blessing, don’t you? Whoever wants to know how it’s all going to end before it actually does? Only poets and madmen, I would think.”

Conclusion

Most people know something about the sinking of the Titanic so I haven’t gone into a lot of detail in this post. I was so captivated by this book, I did my own research to determine how much of the Astor love story was fictionalised and how much was based on truth. It does seem that the Astor’s really were in love and it was a great romance. Madeleine Astor never really recovered from the shock and horror of that fateful night and while her death at the age of 46 is recorded as heart failure, it is believed she died of a drug overdose.

One interesting survival story I came across during my research related to the chief baker on board the Titanic called Charles Joughin.

Portrait of Charles Joughin, chief baker on board the RMS Titanic, and one of its most unlikely survivors. Picture credit: https://nationalpost.com/news/canada/charles-joughin-titanic-anniversary-april-15-drunk

Ahead of the actual sinking of the Titanic, Charles Joughin imbibed significant amounts of alcohol. When the ship started sinking, the baker stepped off the stern of the vessel. As 1,500 screaming and panicked people froze to death around him, he continued to paddle in the water until dawn when he was picked up by a lifeboat. Within a few days, he was back at work.

Rather a remarkable story.

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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WordCrafter News: Book Release, Blog Tour & Independence Day Sale

The Winners of the WordCrafter Small Wonders Book Blog Tour Giveaway

We had a great tour last week for my debut poetry collection, Small Wonders. A full week of guest posts and poetry readings, DL Mullan interviewed me, and even a couple of reviews. Now it’s time to announce the winners of the WordCrafter Small Wonders Book Blog Tour giveaway.

And the winners are….

Drumroll Please

dg kayeBeetly PeteBrenda Marie FluhartyNew Release from WordCrafter Press

This is How We Grow: Reflections for Perspective Shaping, compiled and edited by Yvette Prior will be released on July 18, 2023.

About This Is How We Grow

The way we think and behave is impacted by mental filters. Understanding how people experience the world can lead to positive outcomes.

This is How We Grow brings you into the world of diverse authors to help expand outlook, cultivate empathy, and explore components of concious experience and mental filters. The way we see the world is impacted by many variables.

This book aims to increase the reader’s ability to take the perspective of others through essay, story, and poetry. Cognitive empathy is a crucial component of social problem solving and conflict avoidance.

The WordCrafter This is How We Grow Book Blog Tour

The WordCrafter This is How We Grow Book Blog Tour will run July 17-21, 2023. We will have guest posts from contributors, audio excerpts, an author/editor interview, reviews and a great giveaway. It is a wonderful book and it’s going to be a fabulous tour, so I hope you will join us.

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Once Upon an Ever After: https://books2read.com/u/mKdWGV

Refracted Reflections: https://books2read.com/u/3kPyxn

Visions: https://books2read.com/u/49Lk28

WordCrafter News: Book Release, Blog Tour & Kickstarter Campaign

The Winners of the WordCrafter Small Wonders Book Blog Tour Giveaway

We had a great tour last week for my debut poetry collection, Small Wonders. A full week of guest posts and poetry readings, DL Mullan interviewed me, and even a couple of reviews. Now it’s time to announce the winners of the WordCrafter Small Wonders Book Blog Tour giveaway.

And the winners are….

Drumroll Please

dg kayeBeetly PeteBrenda Marie FluhartyNew Release from WordCrafter Press

This is How We Grow: Reflections for Perspective Shaping, compiled and edited by Yvette Prior will be released on July 18, 2023.

About This Is How We Grow

The way we think and behave is impacted by mental filters. Understanding how people experience the world can lead to positive outcomes.

This is How We Grow brings you into the world of diverse authors to help expand outlook, cultivate empathy, and explore components of concious experience and mental filters. The way we see the world is impacted by many variables.

This book aims to increase the reader’s ability to take the perspective of others through essay, story, and poetry. Cognitive empathy is a crucial component of social problem solving and conflict avoidance.

The WordCrafter This is How We Grow Book Blog Tour

The WordCrafter This is How We Grow Book Blog Tour will run July 17-21, 2023. We will have guest posts from contributors, audio excerpts, an author/editor interview, reviews and a great giveaway. It is a wonderful book and it’s going to be a fabulous tour, so I hope you will join us.

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Once Upon an Ever After: https://books2read.com/u/mKdWGV

Refracted Reflections: https://books2read.com/u/3kPyxn

Visions: https://books2read.com/u/49Lk28

Excellent Western Reads

Delilah gets a delightful reveiw from Jacqui Murray on WordDreams. Check it out.

For those of you who love Westerns, here are a few more great reads:

Fancy –the only thing fancy about her is her name, but Fancy has a dream she can’t let go Delilah –Delilah is that girl who can’t help but get in trouble–prison, kidnapped, left for dead–but none of that matters when she must rescue a friend Born to Hang –Jeremiah proves why no one should set their sights on bringing him down Gunmetal Mountain –sometimes, for Cleve, the only solution to problems is with a gun

–a note about my reviews: I only review books I enjoyed. I need to be inspired. That’s why so many of my reviews are 4/5 or 5/5

Fancy

by Linda Broday

Book 10 in Linda Broday’s series, Love Train, a sweet historical western romance, Fancy, is wonderful. Fancy Dalton is dirt poor, working in a café for a nasty man…

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Wrapping Up the WordCrafter “Small Wonders” Book Blog Tour

We are wrapping up the WordCrafter Small Wonders Book Blog Tour here on Writing to be Read. We’ve had a great week long tour, with a poetry reading at every stop, two delightful reviews and I had a lovely interview with DL Mullan. Now it’s time to wrap everything up, so be sure to comment for a chance to win a free digital copy of my debut poetry collection, Small Wonders. And you can still follow the links in the schedule below to visit each stop and comment for additional chances to win.

Schedule

Small Wonders, by Kaye Lynne Booth – June 19-23

Monday – June 19 – Opening Day – Post “My Moment of Fame” w/ reading “Aspen Tree”– Writing to be Read

Tuesday – June 20 – Guest Post “Fun with Poetry” w/ reading Tanka poem– Robbie’s Inspiration

Wednesday – June  21 – Introduction & Comments – Writing to be Read/Guest Post “I’m a Bird Watcher” w/ reading “Bird Watching”, Interview & Review – Undawnted

Thursday – June 22 – Guest Post “Someone to Look Up To” w/ reading “To Be A Cat” & Review – Carla Loves to Read

Friday – June 23 – Final stop –  Post “I Like to Grow Things” w/ reading Haiga Poem- Writing to be Read

The Small Wonders Giveaway

Three free digital copies of

Small Wonders

are up for grabs. Follow the tour and make a comment at each stop,

so I know you were there and you’re automatically entered.

One entry per stop.

Winners selected in a random drawing. (Really. I draw them out of a hat, literally.)

About the Book

The world is filled with amazing things, if we will just stop a moment and take notice. In this vast universe, we are but tiny individuals, filled with awe and amazement. From reflections on first love, to reflections on growing old. The poems within these pages express a lifetime of unique reflections in Small Wonders.

Purchase Link: https://books2read.com/u/b6WZ6E

I Like to Grow Things

I’m a gardener, and I love to share photos of my beautiful flowers that I grow.

In addition to the beautiful blooms that I plant to attract birds each year, I often plant nutritious vegetables to make attractive plates at my table. Last year, I had a monster cherry tomato plant that was huge, it’s fruit abundant, gracing not only my table, but the tables of neighbors and friends because there was plenty to go around for all. I had to look up to it standing on the porch. It was crazy.

It’s not surprising that my garden activities have found a way into my poetry. The follolwing scenario occured only in my head, but it was fun to write. I promise no animals were harmed in the making of this poem.

A Mole in the Garden

There’s a hole in my garden where a plant should be

I think a mole feasts on my zucchini

A carrot just vanished and there goes a pea!

By all that is sacred, I must get that mole

Or I fear that my garden will be nothing but holes,

Leaving only the rocks, which he hasn’t stole.

I’ll take a shovel and smash his head.

One whack and surely, the mole will be dead.

Oh dear! I’ve smashed my best pumpkin instead.

My cabbage are gone leaving several large holes

A tomato plant is sucked straight down by that mole

Leaving a hole that looks like a very large bowl.

Perhaps there is another way

I’ll fill that hole with smoke today

Then that mole won’t want to stay.

I can’t see my garden as smoke fills the sky

It burns my eyes and makes me cry

It clears to a big empty patch in my rye!

There will be nothing left, that mole’s such a hog.

To save my garden, I’ll turn loose the dog

And flood it all out; turn it into a bog.

The dog tears through the garden, pouncing on each hole

He tromps on my plants and knocks down a bean pole.

A muddy mess is created, but alas! No mole.

I watch as another tomato plant disappears

There goes a potato and a head of lettuce. Oh dear!

I’d better plant enough for me AND the mole next year.

Haigas“A Haiga is either a Haiku or a Senryu poem accompanied by an image…” (Word Craft: Prose & Poetry, by Colleen M. Chesebro, p. 57) Since Haiku and Senryu are not usually titled, it goes to follow that Haigas are also untitled.

Now, I’d like to share a poetry reading of a Haiga poem from the Small Wonders collection. Please take a moment to give it a listen. (If you like it, you can also subscribe to the YouTube channel while there.)

Poetry Reading – A Haiga Poem

That wraps up the WordCrafter Small Wonders Book Blog Tours. I thank you all for joining us and helping to send off this unique debut poetry collection. I’ve enjoyed sharing my poetry with you and I hope you’ll check out the book. If you missed any of the stops, there’s still time to go back and leave a comment for even more chances to win a free digital copy, too. You can do that throught he links in the schedule posted above. I’ll post the winners in my WordCrafter News post on Monday.

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Book your WordCrafter Book Blog Tour today!