Terri’s topic this week is colours of lava and black. I am sharing some of my photographs from inside the Sudwala Caves in South Africa.
This is what Wikipedia says about these caves:
The Sudwala Caves in Mpumalanga, South Africa, are set in Precambrian dolomite rock, which was first laid down about 2.8 billion years ago. The caves themselves formed about 240 million years ago. They are one of the oldest caves in the world.
Picture caption: TC and I in front of Samson’s Pillar inside the Sudwala caves
Picture caption: Banner for Midnight Madness A Carnival of Nightmares
Today, I am delighted to welcome Kaye Lynne Booth with her latest dark anthology, Midnight Madness: A Carnival of Nightmares.
This post highlights contributing authors Joseph Carrabis and C.R. Johansson.
About Midnight Madness: A Carnival of Nightmares
Cover for Midnight Madness: A Carnival of Nightmares featuring a book on a table, an owl and purple flowers
Midnight Madness: A Carnival of Nightmares contains fifteen stories which explore the fears that keep us awake at night. Featuring the winning story in the 2026 WordCrafter Dark Fiction Contest, as well as stories by veteran story tellers, Kaye Lynne Booth, Joseph Carrabis, Chris Barili, Rebecca M. Senese, C.R. Johansson, and more. The darkness in these stories touch on that which we fear most.
From a last big college prank gone awry, to an invisible beast none-the-less deadly, to a potion which makes you move faster than the eye can see, these stories showcase humanity’s deepest, darkest fears, how they shape our behaviors and their consequences they carry.
Everyone fears something. No one is immune. A sphere that drives men insane, apocalyptic zombies filled with sparkling dust, and even what happens when an electric car short circuits in the worst way are what make this story collection one you won’t want to miss.
Picture caption: Author photograph of Joseph Carrabis
Joseph Carrabis is a master storyteller with a sharp sense of humor and deep linguistic expertise. Hailing from New Hampshire, USA, his passion for writing began at the age of seven while washing dishes with his older sister, Sandra. With a career deeply embedded in evolving technologies, Joseph served as Chief Research Officer, Chief Neuroscience Officer, and Senior Research Fellow at several institutions and agencies while earning numerous awards for his journalism and trade technical writing.
Guest Post by C.R. Johansson
Carnival.
The mere word brings shivers of horror to some. While I admit modern day carnivals possess an eerie creepiness, I’m drawn to the mysterious aura surrounding 15th and 16th century traveling Romani groups. An enigmatic group of people who never revealed the details about their life. They traveled from town to town, earning a living by singing, performing, selling homemade goods and crafts, and engaging in the practice of soothsaying, exercising, and selling spells and potions intended to curse or heal. Often, they arrived and disappeared quickly hidden beneath the darkness of night.
In my short story “Sphere Of Solss”, a rugged space cowboy’s insatiable curiosity becomes his undoing when he chooses to gaze into the forbidden depths of a gypsy’s Sphere of Solss.
About C.R. Johansson
Picture caption: Author photograph of C.R. Johansson
C.R. Johansson writes gripping thriller, science fiction, fantasy, and even horror stories with a genetic twist. Her characters explore universes where the unknown prevails and the impossible is possible akin to her life with congenital heart disease. She works and plays in the Pacific Northwest with her husband. When not writing, she enjoys listening to the nearby river and communing with nature and the world around her. You can find her on Facebook and GoodReads.
The Giveaway
Enter the giveaway by leaving a comment at each stop you visit, for a chance to win.
Three lucky readers will receive a free digital copy of Midnight Madness: A Carnival of Nightmares, volume 4 in the Midnight Dark Fiction Anthology Series.
Winners are chosen in a random drawing after the tour is over and will be announced in the “WordCrafter News” post on Monday, October 26, here ib “Writing to be Read”.
Tour Schedule
Mon. 10/19 –Writing to be Read – Interview with Mark Milstead & Guest post from Christian De Matteo & promo for “Shadowmancer”
Tues. 10/20 –Poetry by Mich, Hotel by Masticadores, Masticadores Phillipines – guest post from Robb T. White & Reading from Kaye Lynne Booth
Wed. 10/21 –Writing to be Read – Reading from “Headmaster Burns” & guest post from Lindsey Martin-Bowen & Promo for “L’Bonhomme Sept Heures”
Thurs. 10/22 –Roberta Writes – Reading from Joseph Carrabis & guest post from C.R. Johannson
Fri. 10/23 –Writing to be Read – Guest Post by Abe Margel & promo for “The Shape of Denial” & Promo for “Apocalypse Family”
My photographs are of Chateau du Chambord in the Loire Valley in France.
Picture caption: Photograph of Chateau de ChambordExit into the lavish gardens at Chateau de Chambordfront entrance to Chateau de ChambordInternal entrance at the top of a short flight of stairsInternal door in Chateau de Chambord with short flights of stairs
The Double Helix Staircase
The double helix staircase is believed to have been designed by Leonard da Vinci and is the most striking architectural featuring of the Chateau de Chambord. Positioned in the centre of the immense square-shaped keep, the celebrated staircase comprises of two sets of staircases twisting one above the other to get to the main floors of the building. When two people climb the stairs at the same time, they can see each other at intervals but will never meet. The stairs were intended to be used by each of the King’s wife and his mistresses.
The two pictures below are my photograph of the staircase as drawn by an artist and my photograph of the staircase from my visit to Chambord.
Picture caption: Cover of A Peril in Unseen Frequencies featuring a pretty cartoon styled young woman and a ghostly figure in front of an old fashioned crystal set radio
What Amazon says
All-human written. In this paranormal novelette, elderly and rich widow Etha Yates is diagnosed with a heart condition. Her doctor warns that any sudden shock or excitement could kill her — and that she needs a diversion. Her attentive nephew, Donald, who lives with her, gets her to install a new crystal set radio to keep her entertained. . Soon, Etha is shocked to hear a voice cutting through the broadcast. The voice claims to be her late husband, Chester. The ghostly voice warns her that soon he will come for her. Terrified but determined, Etha proceeds accordingly.
My review
This fourth novella in the A Medium’s Peril series is a little different from the previous books. Medium, Daphne Moultrie, is on the peripheral of this story and her gifted assistant, Cover Flanagan, is the star of this tale and also the narrator.
Elderly widow, Etha Yates, is diagnosed with a heart condition by her doctor. She must not get overexcited or over exert herself. Etha decides to employ Cover on a short-term basis to assist her with various tasks. Clover’s assistance is over and above that of Etha’s amiable young nephew, Donald, who is living with her and is a kind and caring companion. Etha is very fond of him so when Donald suggests she gets a ‘newfangled’ crystal set radio for entertainment, after some protests, she agrees. Etha finds herself enjoying the radio and looking forward to some of the programmes but the radio has a darker aspect, it is a channel through which her late husband can contact her. Etha turns to Clover to guidance. It was nice that Clover took a larger role in this story and stepped up with some enterprising ideas to protect Etha’s health in the strange circumstances.
Teagan Geneviene has a most entertaining and engaging writing style which draws the reader right into the tale and endears the characters quickly. I liked the character of Etha very much and appreciated her quirks and her devotion to her late husband’s memory. I also enjoyed that the condescending attitudes of her doctor and her young nephew annoyed her. Thank goodness for people like Etha who subtly led the way for gender equality.
This is a fast paced and exciting novella that I read in 90 minutes. It was an enjoyable read and I rather regretted finishing the story in one sitting.
Teagan recently featured on Teri Polen’s Bad Moon Rising series. This is one of the answer’s to Teri’s fab questions:
Ghosts: believe or don’t?
I feel like such a hypocrite — I firmly believe in ghosts. Yet I’m often a skeptic whenever someone else talks about their experiences. Clover Flanagan, who narrates “A Peril in Unseen Frequencies” certainly is a believer in ghosts. Although she’s still rather new to her paranormal gifts and sometimes doubts what she’s seeing. The spirits come anyway though.
Picture caption: A woman seated in a chair listening to an old fashioned crystal radio. A ghostly figure is reaching towards her. Created by Teagan Riordian Geneviene
Make sure to visit this link and leave a comment for a chance to win a complete e-book set of A Medium’s Peril (US only)!
About Teagan Riordain Geneviene
Picture caption: Amazon author photograph of Teagan Riordain Geneviene
Driven to create wondrous worlds, despite horrors of the past, Teagan Ríordáin Geneviene is certain that
“The pen is in your hand.”
After a life shaped by the tragedy of losing a sibling to Mµnchaµsen §yndr◊me by Pr◊xy, along with the abµ§e she herself survived, Teagan took that metaphorical pen into her hand. She wrote her way to a new chapter of life with a successful career authoring and editing technical documentation. With another revision that pen took her to the next chapter, working alongside highly placed Federal executives to compose their communications. However, Teagan wasn’t finished. The pen was still in her hand. In her latest chapter she is an acclaimed multi-genre author, living in a high desert town in the Southwest of the USA. Rescue cats, the §coobies — Velma and Daphne, offer unsolicited advice on all stories, as well as the book covers Teagan designs.
This author’s stories range from paranormal to high fantasy and urban fantasy, to various steampunk (and other types of punk), to mysteries with historic settings. In addition to fiction, she has created the Author Tool Chest series of non-fiction works as resources for writers and anyone who loves language. In free time she enjoys conversations with friends, singing karaoke, and playing her piano.
The four photographs in the gallery below are animal shots taken at sunset in two different game reserves in South Africa.
Three hippos in the lake at sunsetA single hippo in the lake at sunsetThree giraffes feeding at sunsetA single giraffe feeding at sunset
The photographs below are some of my favourite animal and other captures during the day time.
A herd of Cape Buffalo drinking at the dam in the early morningA mother cheetah and her four young cubs feedingThe dam in the Pilanesberg National Park steaming after a sudden big drop in temperaturesA leopard pausing at the top of a koppie just before disappearingFive giraffes watching a pair of lions sleeping.
People cleaning windows on a high-rise building. They are seated in a open topped cage that is lifted up by a mechanical hoist.Man seated in a cage on a mechanical hoist. He is overseeing the construction of an outdoor stage for a music concert in Grande Place, Brussels. Horse and carriage with its driver on the streets of LondonMan serving ice-creams from an ice-cream van on a hot day in BrightonLondon busCarousel with its operators in London
