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A Hundred Kisses by Jean M Grant

3/18/2021

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Author: Jean M. Grant
Narrator: Rosalind Ashford
Length: 10 hours 49 minutes
Publisher: Jean M. Grant⎮2018
Genre: Romance
Series: The Hundred Trilogy, Book 2
Release date: Jul. 23, 2018



​1296. Two wedding nights. Two dead husbands.   
Deirdre MacCoinneach wishes to understand her unusual ability to sense others' lifeblood energies...and vows to discover if her gift killed the men she married. Her father's search for a new and unsuspecting suitor for Deirdre becomes complicated when rumors of witchcraft abound.  
Under the facade of a trader, Alasdair Montgomerie travels to Uist with pivotal information for a claimant seeking the Scottish throne. A ruthless baron hunts him, and a dark past haunts him, leaving little room for alliances with a Highland laird or his tempting daughter.  
Awestruck when she realizes her unlikely travel companion is the man from her visions, a man whose thickly veiled emotions are buried beneath his burning lifeblood, Deirdre wonders if he, too, will die in her bed if she follows her father's orders. 
Amidst magic, superstition, and ghosts of the past, Alasdair and Deirdre find themselves falling together in a web of secrets and the curse of a hundred kisses....


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Meet Jean M. Grant
Jean has a penchant for the misunderstood be it sharks, microbes, or people (fictional and real). A scientist by training, she now spends her days as an author and champion for her children. She has five published novels in the genres of historical and contemporary romance, and women’s fiction. She also writes for family and travel magazines and websites. When not writing, she enjoys tending to her flower and vegetable gardens, tackling the biggest mountains in New England with her husband, and chilling with her children, while taking snapshots of the world around her and daydreaming about the next story. Find her on jeanmgrant.com.
Website⎮Twitter⎮Facebook⎮Goodreads⎮Instagram


Meet Rosalind Ashford
I am also an Audible-Approved narrator and producer, and a member of both Actors’ Equity Association (AEA) and SAG-AFTRA, the unions for professional performers. (Bit of a mouthful I’m afraid.)
I was born and raised in Worcestershire, England and trained in Dramatic Arts—dance, drama and film—in conservatory programs at Madeley College and Keele University, UK. I moved to NY in part to pursue a career in theatre, in part to satisfy a strong wanderlust. Whilst I have, since then, performed onstage from Off-Broadway to regional theatre and on film and TV, I also detoured into other fields over the years. 
Microphone training and a great deal of valuable voice experience was acquired as a radio presenter, and for a number of years I read Books for the Blind live on the air—great on-the-job training for audiobook narration! I have also done many voiceovers and radio commercials for national and international markets.
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Top 10 List from Jean M. Grant

The “hundred” trilogy spans three generations, from 1263 to 1322 (check out my bonus material for the series - family lineage, map, and complete glossary.). I delve into Norse, Scottish, English, and “mystical” cultures in the books. Since my first book in the series has a lot of Norse action and plots, I thought it would be fun to share some Interesting Viking Facts:
  • Vikings refer to people of Scandinavia (Denmark, Norway, Iceland, Finland, Sweden) from 750-1300 A.D., though their reign had greatly diminished after 1100 A.D.
  • They put rocks inside the keel of a ship beneath removable planks for stability, and longships were made with a shallow draft and square sails to navigate rivers, coastal waters, and fjords, as well as open sea.
  • There were three main types of ships: longships (warships that could carry 100 men), cargo ships (called knörr), and small coastal river ships.
  • How did they navigate? Simple Mother Nature (including birds and the color of the sea), a sunstone, and the night sky. And luck. They were messy navigators, and even messier fighters. Though this unorganized brutality caught many opponents by surprise.
  • They traveled far: ranging to Russia, Africa, and Asia Minor, and as far west as North America (Newfoundland) around 1000 A.D.
  • Some Norse words present in English: Thursday (Thor’s day), window (vindauga), guest (gestr), anger (angr), husband (húsbóndi) to name a few of hundreds.
  • Viking women had a freer status compared to many in Europe for this time period, with duties of maintaining the farm and wealth; some could be rune masters, priestesses, merchants, and warriors.
  • The phrase “going berserk” comes from the elite warriors called Berserkers (Old Norse berserkir, “bear-shirts”) and úlfheðnar (“wolf-shirts”). These crazed warriors were rumored to either have supernatural powers (possessed by animal spirits), or modern theory suggests this trance-like frenzy was induced by drugs, alcohol, or precipitated by mental illness.
  • Viking men loved blond hair and would use lye to bleach it.
  • Though information abounds online, my primary resources included a tour of the Draken Harald Hårfagre, and several books including: The Sea Wolves, A History of the Vikings by Lars Brownworth; Norse Myths by Martin J. Dougherty; Vikings: Raiders, Traders, and Masters of the Sea by Rodney Castleden.

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A Habit of Resistance by Fernando Torres

3/16/2021

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​Author: Fernando Torres
Narrator: Amelie Edwards
Length: 7 hours 13 minutes
Publisher: Fernando Torres⎮2021
Genre: Historical Fiction
Release date: Jan. 9, 2021

​A Habit of Resistance is the humorous story of a group of nuns who progress from having a small gun club to joining the French Resistance during WWII. 
Renee is from a small town, in provincial France, who flees to Paris, only to find that it has been overrun by Nazis. He returns to his hometown of Brassac to discover that the fiancé he abandoned on the night of their wedding has joined the local convent. He finds himself mayor of the town he abandoned when the former officeholder flees to avoid working with the Vichy government. 
His return causes his fiancé, Noele, to re-examine her decision to become a nun while he must decide with whom he will collaborate. The offbeat nuns must wrestle with how far to expand the margins of their vows, in hopes of saving their town and themselves. A Habit of Resistance is a work of personal denial and redemption.
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About the Author: Fernando Torres
"Even profound ideas benefit from a little bit of humor." - Fernando Torres
Fast-paced, whimsical stories that explore complex moral dilemmas are what define this author's mission. During over a decade in network television at ABC/Disney, Inc., Fernando was fortunate to have worked closely with many of his generation's most talented writers and producers. Time spent on the sets of numerous iconic sitcoms led to a light, humorous writing style unique in modern literature. At ABC/Disney, Inc., Fernando also participated as a judge and mentor in the writing development program, which inspired additional contributions in education. Many of his stories are inspired by his travels, though he has more permanent roots in the United States and Japan. An instrument-rated pilot, he also enjoys writing music and photography.

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About the Narrator: Amelie Edwards
Amelie grew up in the English countryside in Shropshire where she developed a love for stories and folklore. Amelie started out as a Medieval History graduate before going on to gain a Masters in acting from East 15 acting school (UK) in 2012. Since then she has gone on to work in film, theatre and audio. In 2019 she began to work with the BBC producing, writing and performing her own show for Radio 4 and BBC Sounds.

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Cats, Cannolis & a Curious Kidnapping by Cheryl Denise Bannerman

3/16/2021

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​Author: Cheryl Denise Bannerman
Narrator: Robin Waters
Length: 2 hours 42 minutes
Publisher: Cheryl Denise Bannerman⎮2020
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Series: Anna Romano Mystery Series, Book 1
Release date: May 21, 2020


Critics call the series “a laugh-out-loud, whimsical adventure full of tasty Italian dishes and adorable cats!”
Anna Romano is a middle-aged, Italian woman who is also a successful published author, a cat-mama, and an excellent cook with a hankering for Italian cuisine. She lives by herself in her quaint house, in a quiet community, with a white picket fence in Central New Jersey.

When she is not writing her next book or hosting book-signing events with her publicist, she is cleaning litter boxes and baking Cannolis…but never at the same time, of course!

In this first installment, on a typical day in Anna's somewhat-perfect life, a book-signing event turns her world upside down. Is it a case of mistaken identity or was she just being paranoid?

After being stalked for weeks, Anna quickly finds herself literally "tied up", fighting for her life, and desperate to get back home to her cats; all while unwittingly falling in love with the detective who was trying to save her. How she finds her way out of this mess is anyone's guess!

Find out more about Anna and the dangerous cases of murder and mayhem she "haphazardly'"gets herself into, in the new Anna Romano Mystery Series.

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Buy Links for Audiobook #1
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Review

​Cats, Cannoli, and a Curious Kidnapping is not your average cozy. This story is an intense, fast-paced story of murder, lies, and kidnapping. I flew through the audiobook with fervor!

The narrator, Robin Waters, did a fantastic job of reeling me in from her first word. She lent a unique voice to each of the characters.

About the Author: Cheryl Denise Bannerman

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Cheryl Denise Bannerman is an award-winning, multi-genre author of six self-published books. She is the winner of the 2018 Book Excellence Award for her book of poetry, Words Never Spoken, and winner of the Best Books Awards in the category of African American fiction in 2020 for Black Child to Black Woman. She is also a Semi-Finalist in the MLC Audiobook Awards with a 2020 IMDb Nomination for Book 1 of the Anna Romano Mystery Series, Cats, Cannolis, and a Curious Kidnapping.

Within the author's first three works of fiction, Black Child to Black Woman, Words Never Spoken, and A Killer's Reflection, the author addresses critical topics of social concern, such as alcohol and drug addictions, racism and bigotry, domestic abuse and violence, suicide, and child molestation.

In her latest releases, a cozy mystery series entitled the Anna Romano Mystery Series, she hopes to provide relief from a somewhat somber world and spread laughter and smiles with the main character's witty humor and 'unintentional stumbling' over dead bodies and into murder investigations.

Her goal in life is to keep writing and continue helping victims of Domestic Abuse/Violence, Grief and ANON family groups, and Corporate Health and Wellness groups, to heal through words -- encouraging them to 'write the pain' via journaling, and expressing themselves through short stories, songs, and poetry.

She currently resides in Orlando, Florida, where she runs her 25-year-old Virtual Training and Development company, specializing in Instructional Design and eLearning.

In her spare time, she loves to read murder mysteries, attend museums, watch movies, try new cuisines, shop with her daughter, and take in the sun on the beach. And, although this author's works are fiction, she has incorporated many of her personal life experiences into their stories.
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The Key to Love by Callie Bardot

3/15/2021

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Author: Callie Bardot
Narrator: Jonathan Tratar
Length: 8 hours
Publisher: Sumner McKenzie, Inc⎮2020
Genre: Romance
Series: Adrenaline, Book 4
Release date: November 2, 2020



His past haunts him. Her past hunts her.
When Grammy winning Marked Love keyboardist, Keys, finds himself face to face with Mia for a week, he thinks his run of bad luck has finally turned.

Mia thinks she’s in for the week of her worst nightmares.

But as the two collide in an intense affair, two things become obvious—their friends want Mia to stay as far away from Keys as she can. And, neither one of them can forget their pasts and open to love. As a result, they crash together and are wrenched apart like pounding waves. As their week comes to an end, they’re forced to deal with the potent attraction between them and the deadly consequences that follow.

With so much at stake, can they find the key to love?

The Key to Love is the fourth book in the exciting, suspenseful Adrenaline series. While each book is a standalone, the series it more enjoyable if you read them in order.

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Buy Links for Audiobook #4
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​About the Author: Callie Bardot
Give me a gritty story, pushing through obstacles, followed by a chance at true love and I'm a happy woman. I fought for love, long and hard, and found it. Along the way, I had a lot of fun, figuring if something exists to be explored, I may as well explore it. How else can you figure out what you like?
My books have won awards like Romance Reviews Reader's Choice New Adult Erotic (Blurred Lines) and have landed on the NY Times and USA Today Bestseller's list, as well as #1 Amazon bestseller categories. If I'm not writing, you can find me under the water, scuba diving, or on land, hiking, saving lives as an EMT, or exploring my breathtaking surroundings in the Pacific Northwest, alongside my sexy, firefighting guy. 
Website⎮Facebook

About the Narrator: Jonathan Tratar
Making funny voices has always been something I have done, to an almost compulsive level. I would emulate cartoon characters, parents, teachers, politicians, ect. Then focus shifted to martial arts, rock climbing, just other passions and whatnot. In all honesty I feel as though I was lost for a few years. No direction. I then got into the modeling and acting industry. Almost three years as a model/actor, of middling success, before I decided to have a go at being an agent. This move went very very well. Two years later, unfulfilled, I quit my job, bought a mic, and haven't looked back since.
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A Hundred Beaths by Jean M Grant

3/10/2021

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Author: Jean M. Grant
Narrator: Rosalind Ashford
Length: 10 hours 22 minutes
Publisher: Jean M. Grant⎮2021
Genre: Romance
Series: The Hundred Trilogy, Book 1
Release date: Dec. 24, 2019
Healing his heart...with her last breath.
1263, Scotland
Simon MacCoinneach's vengeance runs deep. The blade is the only way to end the bloodthirsty Nordmen's reign upon Scottish soil. His soul might be lost, but the mystical Healer he kidnaps from the isles could be the answer for his ailing mother...and his heart.
Isles-born Gwyn reluctantly agrees to a marriage alliance with this heathen Scot in return for the sanctuary of her younger brother from her abusive Norse father. Her brother's condition is beyond the scope of her Ancient power, for larger healings steal breaths of life from her own body.
As Simon and Gwyn fight to outwit her madman father and a resentful Norse betrothed, Gwyn softens Simon's heart with each merciful touch. Gwyn's Seer sister foresees a bloody battle - and an end to the Nordmen - but Simon will also die. Will Gwyn save Simon on the battlefield even if it means losing her last breath?

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Listen Here
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​Meet the Author ~ Jean M. Grant

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Jean has a penchant for the misunderstood be it sharks, microbes, or people (fictional and real). A scientist by training, she now spends her days as an author and champion for her children. She has five published novels in the genres of historical and contemporary romance, and women’s fiction. She also writes for family and travel magazines and websites. When not writing, she enjoys tending to her flower and vegetable gardens, tackling the biggest mountains in New England with her husband, and chilling with her children, while taking snapshots of the world around her and daydreaming about the next story. Find her on jeanmgrant.com.
Website⎮Twitter⎮Facebook⎮Goodreads⎮Instagram

Interview with Jean M. Grant

Tell us about the process of turning your book into an audiobook.
Like my corresponding print/e-book book releases, I wrote the trilogy out of order and thus I produced the audio books out of order: A Hundred Kisses (middle) came first, then the prequel A Hundred Breaths, and lastly the sequel A Hundred Lies. I was new to the audio book world, but I had my thoughts on what type of voice artist I’d want. She had to be British-accented and be able to pull-off Scottish (and later Norse). I searched around and after auditions, fell upon the lovely and talented Rosalind Ashford, who hails from the UK.
Why a series? Why with the paranormal angle?
It didn’t start that way. I wrote the middle book first. And only after lots of revision and feedback before submitting to my publisher, I decided a thread of the mystical should be woven into the story. From there, the story of Deirdre’s parents nagged at me, and thus came the first book/prequel. Lastly, I knew I had to carry on her legacy in her children, so then came the third book. It’s not heavy on the paranormal/mystical, but it plays a role in each book and is based on lore and superstitions of the time. The scientist in me determined these traits would be inherited/passed down through generations. I also created a fictional culture of the Scottish isles from which these abilities stemmed. The books can be read out of order and as standalones, each a story in itself, but now that the trilogy is complete, reading in order may be the preferred way for many readers.
How closely did you work with your narrator before and during the recording process? Did you give them any pronunciation tips or special insight into the characters? 
We worked closely, keeping in touch as the book progressed through production. I let her read the complete books prior to recording so she could formulate her own impression for accents and characterization. However, she did need to know how to pull off a proper British, more cockney/slang British, as well as Scottish brogue (she does all so well). The fun hit with A Hundred Breaths when we tossed a bit more Gaelic words in and some Norse. For the Norse, she consulted a Norwegian friend; for the Gaelic we worked with my editor, who happened to be Scottish and her mum spoke fluent Gaelic. She recorded the phrases for my narrator, Rosalind. It was a fun and professional collaboration. 
Were there any real life inspirations behind your writing? 
I’ve always loved Scotland (thank you, Outlander for sucking me in). I visited Scotland in 2008, after having already dabbled in some “practice novels.” The beauty of the land and people, and its rich history inspired me. As for real life things: I lost my mom when I was 25 (cancer) so I can relate to two of my heroines. I have a soft spot for those who feel unaccepted by society or feel “different.” This may be where the abilities I gave my lead characters sprung from (the “gifts” of healing, feeling emotions/auras, and premonition). During the middle ages, people were both devoutly religious (and persecuted “witches”) and also deeply superstitious. I loved this mix of cultures. I loved that with each gift came a burden. I loved writing a hero/heroine that accepted their partner’s abilities or disabilities. 
How do you manage to avoid burn-out? What do you do to maintain your enthusiasm for writing?
I definitely burn out and get discouraged, but usually it’s on the marketing and promotion end. Most authors don’t realize getting into the business of publication just how much time this takes. This is where the test of perseverance pays off. It can be daunting and exhausting, but we persist for the love of writing. I don’t have a set daily schedule--I prioritize and sometimes I put more time into marketing than writing, and vice versa. When writing, I shuffle around projects, keeping something fresh on my plate at all times. Repeated revisions, edits, copy edits...that can make you go nutty with fatigue. But having something else fresh waiting for you helps. I juggle around. Sometimes I take full-on breaks and do something else: hobby, some R&R...
Are you an audiobook listener? What about the audiobook format appeals to you? 
Yes! The ease. I love the voices, the emotion, the feeling it bestows. I also have tired writer’s eyes, so I love to hear books while driving or on walks. I fell in love with audio with Davina Porter’s Outlander. I was struggling getting through those big books, and my friend suggested it, so I started on book 5 and I was hooked.
Is there a particular part of this story that you feel is more resonating in the audiobook performance than in the book format? 
I would say the dialects and accents. Emotions, too. Rosalind did an astounding job on it for my series.
If you had the power to time travel, would you use it? If yes, when and where would you go? 
Yes, and I am sure you can guess it based on this genre...medieval Scotland! Minus all the plagues, poverty, class-system, diseases, and bloodshed...
Author Speed Round:
Favorite drink? Coffee - any form, any time.
Favorite Ice cream? Vanilla, coffee, or B&J’s Everything but the Kitchen Sink
Favorite colors? Pink and teal
Oxford Comma? Yes, always.
Beach, lake, or mountains? Mountains with a lake nearby.
Morning rooster, midday lark, or night owl? Morning rooster. (with coffee)
What would you bring on a desert island? Lip balm/chapstick. And Bear Grylls and The Rock/Dwayne Johnson. Oh and endless coffee. 
Favorite places I’ve traveled to? New Zealand, Scotland, Guatemala, Nova Scotia, and two dozen national parks. Locally, the White Mountains (NH) and coastal Maine.
Name a few of the things you’ve researched for this series.
Vikings - lore/myths, and everything from historical battles, to ships and weapons, phrases, gods/goddesses. I even toured a re-created Viking Ship (called Draken Harald Hårfagre) that was built and sailed across the Atlantic. It was amazing! I asked lots of questions. To feel the boards beneath my feet and to touch the woodwork. Ahh! Everything medieval - Scotland, England, wars, customs, clothing, foods, castles, castle life/jobs, towns, maps, abbeys, plants/herbs, mythology...you name it. I also visited Scotland a decade ago. And for the final book, some of my searches involved fortune teller methodology, and sociopaths (obvious the antagonist). I love research. Historical requires a great deal of it, but contemporary does, too.

Meet the Narrator ~ Rosalind Ashford

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I am also an Audible-Approved narrator and producer, and a member of both Actors’ Equity Association (AEA) and SAG-AFTRA, the unions for professional performers. (Bit of a mouthful I’m afraid.)
I was born and raised in Worcestershire, England and trained in Dramatic Arts—dance, drama and film—in conservatory programs at Madeley College and Keele University, UK. I moved to NY in part to pursue a career in theatre, in part to satisfy a strong wanderlust. Whilst I have, since then, performed onstage from Off-Broadway to regional theatre and on film and TV, I also detoured into other fields over the years. 
Microphone training and a great deal of valuable voice experience was acquired as a radio presenter, and for a number of years I read Books for the Blind live on the air—great on-the-job training for audiobook narration! I have also done many voiceovers and radio commercials for national and international markets.
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Good Girls Curtsy by Dena Nicotra

3/9/2021

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​Author
: Dena Nicotra

Narrator: Kendra Murray
Length: 5 hours 26 minutes
Publisher: Dena Nicotra⎮2020
Genre: Women's Fiction
Release date: Dec. 31, 2020

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MayVee Baker has lived by the rules that shaped the edges and sharpened the corners of her existence since the earliest days of her childhood. Common courtesies, pleasantries, etiquette, and smooth manners formed her behavior and served as her compass. Even if it meant silencing her voice and sacrificing her own needs. She lost herself along the way. 
Now she will need to challenge everything she knows to find herself, live the life she deserves, and raise her daughter to know how to slay her own dragons.  
Acceptance, understanding, forgiveness, and grace open a pathway to finding our true selves.

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Meet the Author


Dena Nicotra was born in Southern California and grew up between the busy city and a small town in Arkansas. She is a copywriter, freelance journalist, and holds a degree in Communications. She currently lives in a small desert town in California with her husband and one very spoiled little dog.
She's mom to two grown sons that she calls her sun and moon.
​When she's not writing, she can be found in the kitchen cooking up something special for family and friends.
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Interview with Dena Nicotra

Tell us about the process of turning your book into an audiobook.
Other than some publication delays that were out of our hands due to the pandemic, It was seamless. Kendra Murray is a consummate professional and we’ve worked together before. She made it a very smooth process. 
Do you believe certain types of writing translate better into audiobook format? 
I think that any good book can translate well in an audio format, and there’s such a demand for it in our society today. 
Was a possible audiobook recording something you were conscious of while writing? 
Not at all. I think that I was more focused on telling the story as a whole. That said, I definitely heard the characters in my head.
How did you select your narrator?
Kendra Murray and I worked together on another book I wrote called, “Simple.” She has a gift as a storyteller, and I am delighted to have such a great partner to help bring my stories to life. 
How closely did you work with your narrator before and during the recording process? 
It only took one sample recording and we were off and running! We have a great rapport. I think I’m really lucky, because Kendra just gets me and my vision. Once the writing is done, it’s entirely in her hands and she brings it to life.  
Did you give them any pronunciation tips or special insight into the characters? 
Yes. We worked very closely on character traits, pronunciations, and even backstories when applicable.
Were there any real life inspirations behind your writing? 
Oh yeah. I wore those bobby socks in the third grade. Aside from that, there are definitely some characters in my book that are loosely based on real life inspirations. I study people, and I always patch traits together that I’ve stored in my head.
If you had the power to time travel, would you use it? If yes, when and where would you go? 
I’d use it in a heartbeat! I love the concept of time travel! In fact, the first books I published (The Weaver Series) are based on the concept of being able to manipulate time and events. If I could use it, I would go back to my first year in high-school and I’d enjoy it more. Especially that 1965 Mustang I used to have…and I wouldn’t make a left turn in front of that car thinking I had the right of way. I was fine, but my car? Not so much. 
If this title were being made into a TV series or movie, who would you cast to play the  primary roles? 
That’s a tough one, because I mash traits and cobble characters together from bits and pieces of people from different points in time that come together to sort of flesh out the characters in my head. For example, I see a younger Calista Flockhart as MayVee (think of the movie “The Birdcage). Maybe Neil Patrick Harris as Danny. Richard has bits of Jonathan Van Ness, especially his gorgeous hair.  I definitely think of Harry Connick, Jr. as Lou (think of the movie “Hope Floats”).  Deidra is a cross between Janeane Garofalo and a dear friend.
Have any of your characters ever appeared in your dreams?
Not for this book, but it has happened with other works. 
What bits of advice would you give to aspiring authors?
I believe that any talent takes nurturance and practice. If you love to write, make the time and never give up. Tell your stories!

Meet the Narrator

Kendra performed in numerous plays in high school and college, and directed a play for her senior project, which earned her the school Drama Cup. She apprenticed at, and managed the Box Office of the Berkshire Theatre Festival in Stockbridge, Mass. She performed, produced and directed radio plays with Petaluma Radio Players. Kendra narrates audiobooks across many genres, as solo narrator and as duet narrators with her husband, Ralph Scott, all available on audible.com.  She frequently “speaks” in character voices for her dog, Gandalf, and her cats, Merlin and Saffira. She has two young adult children and a stepdaughter. Kendra is an avid knitter and spinner, and is very crafty.
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Sugar Love by Callie Bardot

3/8/2021

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Author: Callie Bardot
Narrator: Jonathan Tratar
Length: 10 hours 35 minutes
Publisher: Callie Bardot⎮2020
Genre: Romance
Series: Adrenaline, Book 3
Release date: Aug. 11, 2020 


A USA Today best-selling book!

After Effie D’Archangel’s scholarship gets revoked, she’s screwed. Everything she’s ever worked for is gone. She can’t work more than she already does without falling behind in her classes. With no hope and no plan, she succumbs to a dare to attend a party for billionaires looking for young, sexy sugar babies. Despite being more geek than chic, Effie’s desperate to try anything.
Zander’s money and world-class skill and daring in outdoor adventures can’t shield him from heartbreak. Still bitter from an accident that left him deeply scarred, he accepts a dare to find a sugar baby. When he encounters Effie, she’s everything he’s not used to - and that intrigues him even more.
Agreeing to fund her tuition is a risk he knows he can handle. But as they grow closer and the truth surfaces, will the sugar baby be worth the risk, after all?
While each book is a stand-alone, the series it more enjoyable if you listen to them in order.
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Buy Links for Audiobook #3
Buy on Audible​

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About the Author: Callie Bardot
Give me a gritty story, pushing through obstacles, followed by a chance at true love and I'm a happy woman. I fought for love, long and hard, and found it. Along the way, I had a lot of fun, figuring if something exists to be explored, I may as well explore it. How else can you figure out what you like?
My books have won awards like Romance Reviews Reader's Choice New Adult Erotic (Blurred Lines) and have landed on the NY Times and USA Today Bestseller's list, as well as #1 Amazon bestseller categories. If I'm not writing, you can find me under the water, scuba diving, or on land, hiking, saving lives as an EMT, or exploring my breathtaking surroundings in the Pacific Northwest, alongside my sexy, firefighting guy. 
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Author Interview
  1. Tell us about the process of turning your book into an audiobook.
    1. I was so fortunate to work with Jonathan Tratar. I held auditions for the books and Jonathan was a clear choice for four of the five books with his command of voices. And choosing Leanne Woodward for A Twist of Love, with her solid performance, smooth voice and professionalism was a total no-brainer.
  2. Was a possible audiobook recording something you were conscious of while writing? 
    1. I love to listen to Audible books and turning my own books into Audible was always a dream. I had some early works narrated many years ago with little sales success. As I got more popular, and, with Covid spreading around the world, this year I decided to turn all my books into audio versions. It’s taken months but I’m nearly all caught up with my backlist and recordings. And it’s been well worth it. I’ve had the pleasure of working with some great narrators and have resulting fantastic products for your listening pleasure.
  3. Were there any real life inspirations behind your writing? 
    1. I joke that each and every book is sort of autobiographical. LOL. I’ve had a wild and crazy life and continue to live that way so lots of stories to write! I had a lot of heartbreak in my past until I met the love of my life. Being an EMT alongside my EMT/Firefighter husband inspires my Scorching Heat series. And, I’m an avid adventurer which plays into all my books. Also, life just plain interests me so on any given day I might be pursuing horse whispering, or scuba diving, or kayaking, or baking sourdough creations, or....
  4. How do you manage to avoid burn-out? What do you do to maintain your enthusiasm for writing?
    1. I did get burned out with writing earlier in the year. I think Covid fatigue played a part. My husband and I are active volunteer first responders; him as a firefighter and EMT and me as an EMT. When burnout struck in the summer, I got to work with audiobook auditions. And, I’m happily writing once again now that most of my books are recorded and I’ve had the great pleasure of listening to them.
  5. Are you an audiobook listener? What about the audiobook format appeals to you? 
    1. I’m an avid fan of listening to audiobooks. I love to listen to a great story by a fabulous narrator.
  6. What do you say to those who view listening to audiobooks as “cheating” or as inferior to “real reading”?
    1. I have no words. Story telling and listening is built into our DNA. We’ve told stories to one another throughout time.
  7. In your opinion, what are the pros and cons of writing a stand-alone novel vs. writing a series? 
    1. I love writing series. All of the characters become real in my mind, like good friends. I and the listener get to watch or listen to them grow through obstacles, experience heartache and failure, success and love. It’s an extremely satisfying feeling when I’ve finished a good series. And, if the writing is strong, evoking my emotions, I often have to take a few days to process!
  8. Have any of your characters ever appeared in your dreams?
    1. No, but they’ve appeared in my fantasies! LOL
  9. What's your favorite:
    1. Food - Anything Italian.
    2.  Song - Too many to count. Depends on my mood and the context.
    3.  Book - Same as the answer above.
    4. Television show - I love good intelligent writing. Not a fan of sitcoms. A current favorite is binge-watching House, and for some drama fun, Scandal.
    5. Movie - Bram Stoker’s Dracula. Looong story. It’s full of metaphors. I’ve watched it many times.
    6.  Band - Too many to list. I’ve got music in my blood. My kids and I are musically talented. We all have dabbled as musicians. I was in a rock and roll band, one of my kids was courted by a famous rapper band, and the other went to Berklee School of Music and was in a very talented band in Boston. So, my list could go on and on, including Alice Merton, Angie Stone, Alicia Keys, Aretha Franklin, Billie Eilish, Bob Moses, Al Green, Dennis Lloyd, H.E.R., Pharrell, Janelle Monae, etc...
    7.  Sports team - don’t care much for sports. I prefer to experience life, not watch it. That said, I’ll go to watch the Mariners with my kid, and keep apprised of the Seahawks. Oh, and last year I won tickets to the local ice hockey team. I was up and screaming every time a fight broke out on the ice! And I LOVE freestyle motocross. Nitro Circus and Travis Pastrana rock!!
    8.  City - Well, if I were to go on a vacation (when we’re allowed to go on vacation), I’d head to Ireland. I know, I know, it's not a city but I love Ireland.
  10. What’s next for you?
    1. Working on a six book fantasy series, and a romantic suspense story in my Scorching Heat firefighter series.



About the Narrator: Jonathan Tratar
Making funny voices has always been something I have done, to an almost compulsive level. I would emulate cartoon characters, parents, teachers, politicians, ect. Then focus shifted to martial arts, rock climbing, just other passions and whatnot. In all honesty I feel as though I was lost for a few years. No direction. I then got into the modeling and acting industry. Almost three years as a model/actor, of middling success, before I decided to have a go at being an agent. This move went very very well. Two years later, unfulfilled, I quit my job, bought a mic, and haven't looked back since.
Instagram
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A Twist of Love byCallie Bardot

3/5/2021

0 Comments

 
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Author: Callie Bardot
Narrator: Leanne Woodward
Length: 4 hours 36 minutes
Publisher: Sumner McKenzie, Inc⎮2020
Genre: Romance
Series: Adrenaline, Book 2
Release date: October 14, 2020

​

Forced into rehab by lead singer Dante Vegas, the Marked Love drummer Gia “Styx” Swain wants nothing to do with sobriety—or the gorgeous, kind man she’s been assigned to be with twenty-four hours a day. Her hand forced, unable to deal with her situation, she escapes his care, heedless of the consequences.
Retired Marine Marco Monroe loves helping people get free of their addictions. He’s good at it. Plus, it helps keep his mind off the tragic accident that stole his fiancée away. Being a sober companion to the drummer of one of his favorite rock bands proves challenging…as well as difficult to stay mindful of his boundaries.
With everything on the line, can they possibly yield to the potent attraction between them? Or, would giving into one another destroy everything they’ve sought to create? Find out in a Twist of Love: A Rock Star Romance
While each book is a standalone, the series it more enjoyable if you read them in order.

Buy Links for Audiobook #2
Buy on Author’s Direct⎮Chirp⎮iTunes⎮Nook⎮Google

About the Author: Callie Bardot
Give me a gritty story, pushing through obstacles, followed by a chance at true love and I'm a happy woman. I fought for love, long and hard, and found it. Along the way, I had a lot of fun, figuring if something exists to be explored, I may as well explore it. How else can you figure out what you like?
My books have won awards like Romance Reviews Reader's Choice New Adult Erotic (Blurred Lines) and have landed on the NY Times and USA Today Bestseller's list, as well as #1 Amazon bestseller categories. If I'm not writing, you can find me under the water, scuba diving, or on land, hiking, saving lives as an EMT, or exploring my breathtaking surroundings in the Pacific Northwest, alongside my sexy, firefighting guy. 
Website⎮Facebook

​
About the Narrator: Jonathan Tratar
Making funny voices has always been something I have done, to an almost compulsive level. I would emulate cartoon characters, parents, teachers, politicians, ect. Then focus shifted to martial arts, rock climbing, just other passions and whatnot. In all honesty I feel as though I was lost for a few years. No direction. I then got into the modeling and acting industry. Almost three years as a model/actor, of middling success, before I decided to have a go at being an agent. This move went very very well. Two years later, unfulfilled, I quit my job, bought a mic, and haven't looked back since.
Instagram
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Mourning Crisis by Carolyn Ridder Aspenson (Preorder)

3/5/2021

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Previously a part of the Funeral Fakers series, Carolyn has added additional material and re-released her story. This will be a wide release.
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USA TODAY BESTSELLING AUTHOR CAROLYN RIDDER ASPENSON IS BACK WITH ANOTHER LAUGH OUT LOUD SOUTHERN COZY MYSTERY! Nothing will bring your acting career to a halt like literally crashing through the stage floor. But that's exactly what happened to Mayme Buckley. Now she just wishes she could turn back time. Unfortunately, doing so means moving back home with her 90stastic parents and taking whatever bit part the town of Asheville throws her way. And hopefully, minus the injuries. 
First up, the role of a professional mourner, and this time, the leading man is a dead guy. Desipe a performance worthy of a Tony, Mayme's captive audience have...questions. Like how could the contankerous supervisor of the town's moving company land a hot fiancee like Mayme while he was still breathing, and was his death really an accident? 
Mayme doesn't have the answers, at least not to the question of her fake fiance's murder, but she's determined to find them. Because this role is literally, the role of a lifetime, and if Mayme doesn't learn the truth, she might just find herself six feet under. 
Find out who done it in this hilarious Southern cozy mystery filled with fake tears for a real dead guy. 

PREORDER HERE

Review

Mourning Crisis is a humorous southern mystery from Carolyn Ridder Aspenson. Her out of work actress, Mayme, has her work cut out for her as she plays funeral faker Ivy Sawyer whose fiance has died suddenly. Turn on the red neck southern charm!

This fast paced mystery left me laughing and blessing everyone's heart.
 ​

Carolyn Ridder Aspenson

USA Today Bestselling Author Carolyn Ridder Aspenson writes sassy, southern cozy mysteries featuring imperfect women with a flair for telling it like it is. Her stories focus on relationships, whether they’re between friends, family members, couples, townspeople, or strangers, because ultimately, it’s relationships that make a story.

Now an empty-nester, Carolyn lives in the Atlanta suburbs with her husband, two Pit Bull-Boxer mix dogs and two cantankerous cats, but you’ll often find her at a local coffee shop people-watching (and listening.) Or as she likes to call it: plotting her next novel.

​https://carolynridderaspenson.com/
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0 Comments

A Twist of Love by Callie Bardot

3/5/2021

0 Comments

 
Picture
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​Author
: Callie Bardot

Narrator: Leanne Woodward
Length: 4 hours 36 minutes
Publisher: Sumner McKenzie, Inc⎮2020
Genre: Romance
Series: Adrenaline, Book 2
Release date: October 14, 2020

​
Forced into rehab by lead singer Dante Vegas, the Marked Love drummer Gia “Styx” Swain wants nothing to do with sobriety—or the gorgeous, kind man she’s been assigned to be with twenty-four hours a day. Her hand forced, unable to deal with her situation, she escapes his care, heedless of the consequences.
Retired Marine Marco Monroe loves helping people get free of their addictions. He’s good at it. Plus, it helps keep his mind off the tragic accident that stole his fiancée away. Being a sober companion to the drummer of one of his favorite rock bands proves challenging…as well as difficult to stay mindful of his boundaries.
With everything on the line, can they possibly yield to the potent attraction between them? Or, would giving into one another destroy everything they’ve sought to create? Find out in a Twist of Love: A Rock Star Romance
While each book is a standalone, the series it more enjoyable if you read them in order.

Buy Here

Author’s Direct⎮Chirp⎮iTunes⎮Nook⎮Google
​About the Author: Callie Bardot
Give me a gritty story, pushing through obstacles, followed by a chance at true love and I'm a happy woman. I fought for love, long and hard, and found it. Along the way, I had a lot of fun, figuring if something exists to be explored, I may as well explore it. How else can you figure out what you like?
My books have won awards like Romance Reviews Reader's Choice New Adult Erotic (Blurred Lines) and have landed on the NY Times and USA Today Bestseller's list, as well as #1 Amazon bestseller categories. If I'm not writing, you can find me under the water, scuba diving, or on land, hiking, saving lives as an EMT, or exploring my breathtaking surroundings in the Pacific Northwest, alongside my sexy, firefighting guy. 
Website⎮Facebook


About the Narrator: Jonathan Tratar
Making funny voices has always been something I have done, to an almost compulsive level. I would emulate cartoon characters, parents, teachers, politicians, ect. Then focus shifted to martial arts, rock climbing, just other passions and whatnot. In all honesty I feel as though I was lost for a few years. No direction. I then got into the modeling and acting industry. Almost three years as a model/actor, of middling success, before I decided to have a go at being an agent. This move went very very well. Two years later, unfulfilled, I quit my job, bought a mic, and haven't looked back since.
Instagram
0 Comments
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