Roberta Writes – Book Blog Tour: About Midnight Madness: A Carnival of Nightmares

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.

Purchase Midnight Madness: A Carnival of Nightmares from Amazon US here: https://www.amazon.com/Midnight-Madness-Carnival-Nightmares-Anthology/dp/B0HLRV4Z4D

Reading by Joseph Carrabis

About Joseph Carrabis

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”

Roberta Writes – d’Verse, Tanka Tuesday, Sunday Stills and Thursday Doors

d’Verse

Laura’s prompt is for poets to write a Cadralor. I’m not sure if I got it quite right but I had a go at it below. You can join in here: https://dversepoets.com/2026/10/15/mtb-imagism-in-5/

Bird Love (American cinquain chain)

yellow

fluttering wings

hovering around nests

seeking positive attention

weaver

Picture caption: yellow masked weaver bird in my garden

***

lilac

breasted roller

amazing acrobat

attired in dramatic colour

palette

Picture caption: Lilac-breasted roller in the Kruger National Park

***

sitting

silhouetted

against vivid blue sky

yellow billed toucan surveys its

surrounds

Picture caption: Yellow billed toucan in the Kruger National Park

***

blending

into background

pair of spotted thick knees

prominent yellow eyes darting

around

Picture caption: Spotted thick knee at the Johannesburg Country Club in Woodmead

***

watching

courtship rituals

birds soaring and swooping

my heart yearns for perceived freedom

of wings

Tanka Tuesday

Melissa’s challenge is to write an Alouette. You can join in here: https://tankatuesday.com/2026/10/13/tankatuesday-no-86-alouette-10-13-26/

Woolly-necked stork

black skullcap adorns

wig-style woolly neck

atop black judicial suit

reminiscent of

criminal court judge

handing down a death sentence

***

slow, silent hunters

shy and secretive

living alone or in pairs

round water sources

in arid areas

occasionally soaring

Below are my two photographs of a woolly-necked stork

Sunday Stills and Thursday Doors

Hugh is hosting Sunday Stills on behalf of Terri here: https://hughsviewsandnews.com/2026/10/11/sunday-stills-photo-challenge-steps-stairs/

Dan is hosting Thursday Doors here: https://nofacilities.com/2026/10/15/october-doors/

My photographs are of Chateau du Chambord in the Loire Valley in France.

Picture caption: Photograph of Chateau de Chambord
Exit into the lavish gardens at Chateau de Chambord
front entrance to Chateau de Chambord
Internal entrance at the top of a short flight of stairs
Internal 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.

Roberta Writes – Book review: A Peril in Unseen Frequencies by Teagan Riordain Geneviene

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.

Purchase A Peril in Unseen Frequencies by Teagan Riordain Geneviene here: https://www.amazon.com/Peril-Unseen-Frequencies-Mediums-Book-ebook/dp/B0HKPZ7TH4/

Find out more about this book

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

You can read the rest of Teagan’s great interview here: https://teripolen.com/2026/10/08/badmoonrising-a-peril-in-unseen-frequencies-by-teagan-riordain-geneviene-paranormal-medium-giveaway/

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.

See her book trailer videos at Youtube.

Find Teagan on her blog here: https://teagansbooks.com/2026/10/10/am-writing-and-bad-moon-rising-a-peril-in-unseen-frequencies/

Find all of Teagan’s books on Amazon US here: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Teagan-Riordain-Geneviene/author/B00HHDXHVM

Roberta Writes – d’Verse and Sunday Stills

Lillian is hosting d’Verse Poetics Tuesday. You can join in here: https://dversepoets.com/2026/10/06/introducing-an-eight-year-old-artist/

Picture caption: Art by eight-year-old Azul

What is support? (freestyle poem)

What is support?

Is it imposing your view

on what constitutes

appropriate subject choices

at school and even college?

Is it deciding on suitable

extra curricular activities

that lead towards achievement

of your idea

of appropriate life goals?

Is it forcefully manipulating

your child’s career decisions

citing financial success

as the only criteria?

Is support achieving

your own aspirations

through your child?

***

What is unconditional love?

Is it guiding your child

towards the safe option?

Wrapping him in cotton wool

keeping him protected

from all of life’s knocks?

Is it ensuring

he doesn’t make your mistakes

or any of his own either?

Is unconditional love

letting him go?

Allowing him the freedom

to make his own choices

learn from his own experiences

rise with the highs and

plunge with the lows?

Is unconditional love

providing the tools

for him to build his own life

and live it

the way he chooses to?

Sunday Stills

Hugh is standing in for Terri while she is abroad on vacation. Hugh’s theme for this week is ephemeral. You can join in here: https://hughsviewsandnews.com/2026/10/04/sunday-stills-photo-challenge-capturing-ephemeral-moments/

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 sunset
A single hippo in the lake at sunset
Three giraffes feeding at sunset
A 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 morning
A mother cheetah and her four young cubs feeding
The dam in the Pilanesberg National Park steaming after a sudden big drop in temperatures
A leopard pausing at the top of a koppie just before disappearing
Five giraffes watching a pair of lions sleeping.

Roberta Writes – d’Verse, Thursday Doors and The Flower Hour

Sanaa’s prompt is ‘Through the eyes of John Atkinson Grimshaw’. You can join in here: https://dversepoets.com/2026/09/29/poetics-through-the-eyes-of-john-atkinson-grimshaw/

Watercolour city

new-to-me city

shimmering and dancing

under its mantle

of soft cloud and rain

droplets run

water condenses

on taxi window

excitement thrums

to the gentle rhythm

of pattering ran

outside colours

mix and run

on the filmed canvas

of the busy street

mystery and delight

captured in

swirls and swishes

of patternless blurs

on which golden splashes

of enchanting light

beckon comfortingly

Boar lane, Leeds by Lamplight (1881) public domain

Thursday Doors

Below are some doors from inside the Louvre in Paris.

You can join in Thursday Doors here: https://nofacilities.com/2026/10/01/armenian-room-happy-birthday-cathy/

The Flower Hour

For Terri’s The Flower Hour, I am sharing the first yellow rose of the season. You can join in The Flower Hour here: https://secondwindleisure.com/2026/09/29/the-flower-hour-50-the-floral-abcs-exploring-w-xy-and-z/

Roberta Writes – Tanka Tuesday and CFFC

This is my poem for Willow’s Tanka Tuesday poem which you can read here: https://tankatuesday.com/2026/09/29/tanka-tuesday84-feelings-end-or-beginnings-9-29-26/

Spring

buds blooming, birds constructing, hadeda ahead – brooding

bright birds, colourful flowers, creating, spring kaleidoscope

shredded petals, beheaded flowers, weaver – most destructive!

CFFC

Dan’s challenge is to share pictures of places people work. I looked for photographs of work places that are very different from my own office. You can join in here: https://nofacilities.com/2026/09/28/where-what-when-we-work-cffc/

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 London
Man serving ice-creams from an ice-cream van on a hot day in Brighton
London bus
Carousel with its operators in London

Roberta Writes – d’Verse & W3, Sunday Stills and CFFC

Bjorn’s d’Verse challenge is to write above a pilgrimage. You can join in here: https://dversepoets.com/2026/09/22/poetics-pilgrimage-revisiting-your-journey/

Heather’s W3 challenge this week is to write an ode to something in nature. You can join in here: https://skepticskaddish.com/2026/09/23/w3-prompt-230-weave-written-weekly/

The two challenges fitted together naturally for me this week.

Ode to a Giraffe

My spirit rejoices, sense of well being restored

Enthusiasm, returning as though never misplaced

Patience a virtue that brings its own reward

Anxiety and stress with peacefulness replaced

I bask in the liquid depths of your calm gaze

Silent queen who uses her voice so rarely

Chewing thoughtfully as if

Viewing life through a rose coloured haze

How I wish I could see the world so clearly

Instead, change has always scared me stiff

***

Oh, that I could derive such simple pleasure

From the action of consuming my daily bread

Absorbing the sun’s warmth as golden treasure

Grateful for nature’s bounty that keep’s me fed

Your gentle expression and swaying grace

Neck swinging in rhythm with your amble

Unworried and totally at ease

In you, trouble and strife find no place

Watching you, my thoughts unscramble

Floating away on grace’s mellow breeze

***

Within the borders of this manmade sanctuary

You are free to follow your natural instincts

No familial burdens to make you weary

Societal expectations, wordless but succinct

Within the boundaries you are free to roam

Unimpeded by responsibilities choker chain

That always pulls me up short

Despite the fact we ultimately walk alone

It is necessary for us to share other’s pain

Obligation and duty not easy to thwart

***

Your environment artificially maintained

By humans who are deemed more intelligent

Yet, it seems our hands and feet are chained

To the way of life that’s our inheritance

I seek out your environment as my escape

From a frantic world spinning ever faster

Core central pillar

Pivotal in the wild and untamed landscape

My soul temporarily heals, avoiding disaster

Nature acts as my life’s tiller

Sunday Stills and CFFC

Terri’s Sunday Stills challenge is animals with antlers, horns and hooves. I am featuring the giraffe that inspired my poem above. Giraffes have hooves. Giraffes do not have horns. They have ossicones which are horn-like, skin-and-fur-covered bone structures on top of a their head’s that develop from hardened cartilage. You can join in here: http://secondwindleisure.com/2026/09/20/sunday-stills-animal-of-the-month-antlers-horns-and-hooves/

Dan’s challenge is where/what/when we vacation. Naturally, I mainly vacation in the bush either at a safari lodge or some other facility that is close to animals and nature. You can join in Dan’s challenge here: https://nofacilities.com/2026/09/21/where-what-when-we-vacation-cffc/

Isn’t this just the most beautiful giraffe you ever saw?

This is a portrait photograph of the same giraffe. These photographs were taken at Welgevonden Private Game Reserve in South Africa.

This photograph is of TC and I celebrating our 25th wedding anniversary at Welgevonden Private Game Reserve in February this year. There is a herd of elephants in the background.

The above photograph is of a Cape buffalo. Cape buffalo have large, heavy horns that typically curve downward and then sweep upward. In mature Cape buffalo bulls, the bases of the horns fuse together across the forehead to form a heavy, hard bone shield called a “boss”.