​ "In his pursuit of the occult, the Third Reich opened the Gate to a realm of magic and brought the world to ruin. The Gate was eventually closed, but they were already in our world, and they were hungry." (The Lost History, Library of Avergard)
Azure "Azzy" Brimvine lives in a world decimated by magic, where humans have retreated underground from the overwhelming dangers of the surface. But Below is no safer than Above. Magic-borne plagues continue to eat away at the remaining human cities - a sickness that doesn’t merely kill, but creates aberrations from the stricken. People twisted by magic into something dark, dangerous, and powerful. It is an existence of fear and constant dread.
When Azzy’s brother Armin is infected and cast out into the Above, she sets out after him, determined to be there for him, no matter what he becomes. The world Above is full of monsters, both wild and cunning, some more human than Azzy was led to believe.
Armin is captured and bound for the auction block of Avergard - a ruthless city of inhuman lords and twisted creatures. To reach him, Azzy must brave the perils of the Above and the chaotic life forms created by the Gate. To reach him, she must find allies and forge new bonds in this broken world. And Azzy must reach him, before Armin’s new power is used to open the Gate once more.
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About the Author: Kristin Jacques
Kristin Jacques is speculative fiction author and content creator from New England. She holds a B.A. in Creative Writing from Wells College.  
Her contemporary fantasy Ragnarök Unwound was published with Sky Forest Press in January of 2019. Her award-winning dark fantasy Marrow Charm was released from Parliament House Press in October 2019. In November 2019, Marrow Charm won the Fantasy Fiction category at American Bookfest.  In 2020, she signed a four-book deal with City Owl Press for the paranormal series Midnight Guardians.
When not writing, she is juggling two rambunctious boys, spoiling her cats, and catching up on a massive TBR pile. She is currently working on projects full of magic, mystery, and delight.
Website⎮Twitter⎮Facebook⎮Instagram

About the Narrator: Amie Lyn Hornick
Amie Lyn Hornick is a professional audiobook narrator and producer with a true passion for bringing stories to life through engaging and versatile presentations. After graduating from St. Lawrence University with double majors in English and Psychology, she spent the next few years working in marketing and graphic design. For the last two years, however, she has completely immersed herself in the audiobook industry and has loved every minute of it. Based in Upstate New York, Amie spends much of her free time playing far too many video games and exploring the Adirondacks with her husband and two incredibly cute rescue dogs (who don't quite understand why their mom spends most days speaking in weird voices).

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​Audiobook Review
Overall  5 Stars
Story  5 Stars
Performance  5 Stars

The Detective Kay Hunter Series is hands down one of my absolute favorites.  I have completed the entire series via audiobooks. The narrator Alison Campbell is brilliant. She has brought to life each of these stories for me. She lends a unique voice to each character and the portrayal is congruent in every book.

Author Rachel Amphlett touches on a few dark issues with the story but she handled it very well. I devoured Turn to Dust just as I have all the previous books. Detective Hunter is a strong female lead character who is tenacious, strong, and supportive. I love her interactions with her husband. A highlight in each book is to see what animal he will be treating at home.

​Author: Shelly Hickman
Narrator: Jazmine Ramay
Length: 5 hours 30minutes
Publisher: Shelly Hickman⎮2020
Genre: Romantic Comedy
Series: Fortytude, Book Two
Release date: Jun. 10, 2020

How did you select your narrator?
It was easy for this title because Jazmine read the first book in the series, Vegas to Varanasi, and did such a fantastic job. I was so happy she was willing to read the second book as well. I initially chose her because 1) she has a lovely voice; 2) she is awesome with accents; and 3) her training and background as an actor shines through when she reads.

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? Because we had already worked together on the first book, this one was a breeze. At least it was for me. (I can’t speak for Jazmine.) For book one, we worked much more closely, and I’ll admit we struggled at first with Kiran’s character. I’m sure I drove her nuts because I was persnickety about how I wanted him to come across. However, once we got to book two, Jazmine knew all the characters so well that I was barely part of the process!

Were there any real-life inspirations behind your writing?
Hell. Yes. Though I wasn’t living with a new relationship, (I’ve been married thirty years now), I was pretty much living with all the symptoms of perimenopause that poor Anna endures. The hot flashes, the horrendous periods, peach fuzz on the face, etc., etc. I thought it would be fun to open up about such matters (and others I won’t go into here) in a light-hearted way so that other women my age wouldn’t feel so freakish and alone. Be warned, a few readers said the honesty was a bit much for them.

What do you hope your readers or listeners will take away from this book? There are a lot of family problems in this story, and that’s the way life gets sometimes. I think the only way we get to the other side of tough times is through our love and support of each other, being honest with each other, and keeping a sense of humor whenever possible. That’s what I hope to convey through this story and characters.

When writing a series, how do you keep things fresh, for both you and your readers?
With each story, I try to place my characters in new and unique circumstances so I can explore the relationships - given their personalities, histories, and stage in their lives. I admire authors who can achieve this beyond two or three books, at least when they’re character driven like mine. Some readers have asked if there will be more of Anna and Kiran after book 3. As of now I have no plans to continue their story, but who knows? It’s possible one day those characters will call to me again to tell the story of their golden years.

If this title were being made into a TV series or movie, who would you cast to play the primary roles?
Sarah Jessica Parker as Anna and Hrithik Roshan as Kiran. If you haven’t heard of him, Google! You won’t regret it. ;-)

Are you an audiobook listener? What about the audiobook format appeals to you?
I love audiobooks, however, most that I listen to are nonfiction rather than novels. As I’ve gotten older, I lack the attention required to finish a book, even when I find it enjoyable. I don’t know what it is. Audiobooks are great because I can listen to them to and from work, though more recently I’ve been into podcasts.

What do you say to those who view listening to audiobooks as “cheating” or as inferior to “real reading”?
As a teacher, I think this is a valid argument when referring to young people. The more you read “for real,” the better reader you will become. However, adult life is often so busy and full that many people don’t have the time, or energy, to read when they do have the time. Audiobooks make reading much more accessible to those who might not otherwise “open a book.”

If you had the power to time travel, would you use it? If yes, when and where would you go?
I’ve always had a love for the 1940s – the clothes, the music, the style – so it would probably be that time period (after the war). One of my favorite albums as a kid was “That’s Entertainment.” It was one of those double albums that opened like a book and held a 33 vinyl on each side, and it had a ton of songs from musicals of the 20s, 30s, and 40s. I adored Judy Garland, and remember driving my mom insane one day when I played “On the Atchison Topeka and the Santa Fe” a bazillion times on my record player.

What’s next for you?
For now, I feel like I’ve lost my writing mojo, but I still need some sort of creative outlet. So in January I started a YouTube channel aimed at women over forty. We’ll see how it goes. So far, I have nine subscribers. Haha!

​Author: Vicki-Ann Bush
Narrator: Marcus Rothenberg
Length: 8 hours and 38 minutes
Publisher: The Parliament House⎮2020
Genre: YA Paranormal
Release date: June 10, 2020

1. Tell us about the process of turning your book into an audiobook. For me it was a dream come true. I’d been with my previous publisher for over seven years and none of my books were offered in audio. Honestly, the first day I saw it on Amazon and heard the excerpt, I cried. But that didn’t answer the question. My publisher, The Parliament House, auditioned narrators and sent me a sample of one they thought would be a good fit. I agreed, and after that it was primarily waiting for everything to be completed.
   
2. Was a possible audiobook recording something you were conscious of while writing? For this book, yes. It was part of my contract with the publisher.
   
3. 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? 
   
4. Were there any real life inspirations behind your writing? Actually, yes. The protagonist Alex McKenna, was written for someone very close to my heart who is transgender. I wanted a character that is transgender but that component of his life is his. He shares what he wants and the rest is focused on the paranormal.
   
5. If you had the power to time travel, would you use it? If yes, when and where would you go? Since time travel is one of my favorite topics, I love this question. Yes, I would absolutely travel back in time. I’d center it around my family, see my grandma when she was a kid, and my mom and dad too. Maybe revisit certain precious memories of my childhood and the childhood of my children. Oh and the early 20th century, 1910 - 1939.
   
6. If this title were being made into a TV series or movie, who would you cast to play the  primary roles?  I’ve been looking at various young adult, trans male actors, and one that stood out to me is Theo Germaine.
   
7. What do you say to those who view listening to audiobooks as “cheating” or as inferior to “real reading”? My sister in-law and brother both drive daily for a specimen company. They’re on the road for nearly eight hours a day, five days a week. Audio books allow them to enjoy the stories they don’t have time for and the books help keep the day interesting. So I’d say to those who question the validity of audio vs. “real reading”, understand that not everyone may have time to read with the pages between their fingers but it doesn’t mean they should be denied the stories they love.
   
8. How did you celebrate after finishing this novel? My go to is wine (red of course), Mexican food, and dark chocolate.
   
9. In your opinion, what are the pros and cons of writing a stand-alone novel vs. writing a series? Since I’ve done both, I think for a series the pros are being familiar with the characters and the background. Cons are you’re trying to outdo the last book and keep the existing characters fresh. For a stand alone, I think for me it’s only pros. You create, build, and then when it’s over you move on.
   
10. What's your favorite:
    
    1. Food - this is tough, I love Italian, Mexican, and Chinese. My fave depends on my mood for that day.
       
    2.  Song - My dad was a musician so I grew up with an eclectic range of songs and many of them I hold close to my heart, but one of my faves is Mr. Tambourine Man by the Byrds.
       
    3.  Book- that’s easy, Lightning by Dean Koontz.
       
    4. Television show - Buffy the Vampire Slayer
       
    5. Movie - Arsenic and Old Lace
       
    6.  Band - Once again, so many. But I do like several songs from ColdPlay.
       
    7.  Sports team - Yankees all the way.
       
    8.  City - Forever in my heart, New York.
       
11. What’s next for you? Releasing on October 20th, 2020 is the second installment of the Alex McKenna series, Alex Mckenna & The Academy of Souls. 
    

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