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The City Wife by R. M. Carpus

8/2/2022

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Title: The City Wife
Author: R.M. Carpus
Genre: Dystopian, Thriller/Drama
Cover Designer: Robin Johnson of Robin Ludwig Design Inc.
Publication Date: Aug. 2, 2022
Hosted by: Lady Amber’s PR

Blurb:
A displaced mother and daughter embark on a quest for refuge in this absorbing women's sci-fi family saga for fans of slow-burn suspense and page-turning domestic drama.

 

A crushing betrayal. A transcendent bond. Three thousand miles to the Isle.

 

My mother loved the city, and it loved her. Until the Turn. Until leaving became our only hope of survival. She’s slipping away more each day. I can feel it. The tide threatens to take me with her, but I’d be lying if I said I’d rather be anywhere else—with Florence is where I belong.

 

Now uprooted and on the run, we have to choose: surrender to a new beginning and leave our delicate past behind, or salvage the remains and try to find our way back.

 

Either way, I just want to go home.

 

But if home really is where the heart is, what happens when you lose heart?

 

Buy it now! Immerse yourself in Florence and Joanna’s harrowing journey to the Isle.

NOW LIVE!




A former Floridian and Seattleite, R.M. Carpus now writes fantasy and science fiction from Philadelphia, her birthplace and current home base. She is co-founder of Impossible Things Publishing (ITP), a collaborative anthology project, and a student and tutor at Saint Joseph’s University. The aftermath following the tragic loss of her mother led her to return to her Catholic faith, which she today counts as her greatest gift and joy in life, along with her family, friends, and love for storytelling. She speaks a little French, dreams of living in the English countryside, and like most writers, runs on coffee. She's happiest outdoors—especially in the Pacific Northwest—or cuddled up at home with her animals while reading, writing, or watching classic movies.

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Author Links:

Twitter | Instagram | Bookbub | Goodreads | Website 

NOW LIVE!




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Cover Reveal & Preorder ~ Wolf Protector by Harper A. Brooks

7/14/2022

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Title: Wolf Protector
Author: Harper A. Brooks
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Cover Designer: Ryn Katryn
Publication Date: Sept. 29th, 2022
Hosted by: Lady Amber's PR

Blurb:

In this world of magic and secrets, nothing is as it seems.

 

Edmund, the vicious ex-alpha and Reid’s father, is back from the dead. And now, he’s set on expanding his tyrannical reign beyond the pack’s territory of Buson, Maine.

 

Even more shocking is that Edmund has brought a new friend with him: Carmen, Tasha’s sister and the one person she’s dedicated her life to bringing home. But the young witch doesn’t want to be saved. In fact, Carmen and Edmund have been working together to take out the Redcliff Pack and put their bloody plans into motion.

 

To save their future, Tasha and Reid must fully embrace their mate-bond and Tasha’s witch powers, while battling their pasts head on.

 

With claws, teeth, and magic.

 

Love, betrayal, and magic fill the pages of the final book of the Moon Kissed Series! Read the epic conclusion to Tasha and Reid’s story today!

 

Wolf Protector is book three of the Moon Kissed Series.

NOW AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER!



Harper A. Brooks lives in a small town on the New Jersey shore. Even though classic authors have always filled her bookshelves, she finds her writing muse drawn to the dark, magical, and romantic. But when she isn't creating entire worlds with sexy shifters or legendary love stories, you can find her either with a good cup of coffee in hand or at home snuggling with her furry, four-legged son, Sammy.

She writes urban fantasy and paranormal romance.

RONE Award Winner

USA TODAY Bestselling Author

International Bestselling Author

Author Links:

Amazon | Twitter | Goodreads | Website 

Instagram | Facebook | Bookbub | Reader Group | TikTok

NOW AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER!






 

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Author Spotlight on Rebecca McKinnon

7/13/2022

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I love cozies. They are fun, quick reads. And let's be honest, they help me pad my Goodreads goal when I am falling behind. But seriously, i do enjoy these quirky stories. You can snag Book 1, The Yarn That Binds, for FREE in KU.
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Title: A Hill to Dye On
Clear Creek Mysteries, Book 2
​ (can be read as a standalone)
Author: Rebecca McKinnon
Release date: October 13, 2022
PREORDER
​Summer has made its way up the mountain to Clear Creek, and with the new season, the town is offering a slew of summer classes at the community center. Happy to participate, Jemma and her yarn shop sponsor a fiber-dying class taught by her oldest friend, Kitty.
 
When a mysterious man walks into class, something about him pulls Jemma into a tangle. Learning Kitty once knew him, Jemma has questions — but her friend is staying mum. Then Jemma goes on an early-morning walk and discovers the man dead.
 
This time, Jemma’s determined to stay out of the investigation — until she learns that because of a past she’s been hiding, Kitty is the main suspect! Unwilling to turn her back on her friend, Jemma starts looking for a dropped stitch.
 
Because somewhere, there’s a person with dye on their hands.

Meet the Author

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​Rebecca McKinnon enjoys playing with her imaginary friends and introducing them to others through her writing. She dreams of living in the middle of nowhere, but has been unable to find an acceptable location that wouldn’t require crossing an ocean.

Stalk me...

FB ~ Website ~ Amazon ~ Goodreads

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Shift by Karina Espinosa

7/13/2022

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Title: Shift
Author: Karina Espinosa
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Hosted by: Lady Amber’s PR

Blurb:
It's hard enough being an undergraduate student, an intern at Downtown Manhattan's police station, and a bouncer at a local bar. Add her now ex-boyfriend who recently dumped her for the school's resident bimbo—oh, and she's a werewolf.

 

Mackenzie Grey meets her match when she is kidnapped by the Brooklyn Pack and tossed between Sebastian and Jonah—the Alpha and the Beta. Being a lone-wolf in the city is dangerous, and now that the Pack has found her, so can every supernatural being in the Tri-State area. And not even her sarcastic, smart mouth can get her out of this.

 

When a string of kidnappings involves Mackenzie in supernatural politics, she questions her new acquaintances and finds unlikely allies. Can she escape Pack law and keep her freedom—or will she be condemned to an unwanted path?

99 CENTS FOR A LIMITED TIME!



Karina Espinosa is the Urban Fantasy Author of the Mackenzie Grey novels and The Last Valkyrie series. An avid reader throughout her life, the world of Urban Fantasy easily became an obsession that turned into a passion for writing strong leading characters with authentic story arcs. When she isn't writing badass heroines, you can find this self-proclaimed nomad in her South Florida home binge watching the latest series on Netflix or traveling far and wide for the latest inspiration for her books. Follow her on social media!

Author Links:
Web | Amazon | Goodreads | Facebook | Twitter
Reader Group | Instagram | Bookbub

99 CENTS FOR A LIMITED TIME!


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Emmie and the Tudor King by Natalie Murray

7/13/2022

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​Author: Natalie Murray
Narrator: Shakira Shute
Length: 9 hours 37 minutes
Publisher: Natalie Murray⎮2021
Genre: Young Adult Romance
Series: Hearts and Crowns, Book 1
Release date: Oct. 27, 2021
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Listen Here
​One moment, Emmie is writing her high school history paper; the next, she is lost in 16th century England, where she meets a dreamy but dangerous Tudor king who is destined for a dreadful fate.
Able to travel back to her own time but intensely drawn to King Nick and the mysterious death of his sister, Emmie finds herself solving the murder of a young princess and unravelling court secrets while trying to keep her head on her shoulders, literally. 
With everything to lose, Emmie will come to face her biggest battle of all: how to cheat the path of history and keep her irresistible king, or lose him - and her heart - forever.

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Buy Links
Buy on Amazon⎮Audible⎮iTunes⎮Kobo⎮Nook

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About the Author: Natalie Murray
Natalie Murray is the award-winning author of Emmie and the Tudor King (2021), Emmie and the Tudor Queen (2021), and Emmie and the Tudor Throne (2022) from Midnight Tide Publishing.
A cross between Outlander and The Other Boleyn Girl, the romance trilogy follows a high school girl to a reimagined Tudor England, where she meets a doomed – but dreamy – Tudor king destined for a dreadful fate.
Emmie and the Tudor King was an award-winning finalist in the 14th Annual National Indie Excellence Awards in the New Adult Fiction category and has received acclaim from Foreword Reviews, YA Books Central, and popular authors Brigid Kemmerer (A Curse So Dark and Lonely) and CJ Flood (Infinite Sky), among others.
Website

About the Narrator: Shakira Shute
Shakira Shute is a full time audiobook narrator and voice actor and is an alumni of the internationally acclaimed National Youth Theatre of Great Britain.
In a previous life (before relocating with her family to Canada 7 years ago), Shakira was a commercial litigation lawyer in London, England. 
Shakira has had the privilege of narrating projects for Penguin Random House, Tantor Audio, Dreamscape Media, Findaway Voices, Orange Sky Audio, Audio Sorceress and East House Productions. She has also narrated books in collaboration with Oxford University Press and MIT.
She is able to perform character voices, multiple UK regional accents, as well as a general American accent.
Website
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A Fallen Hero by Sara A. Noe

7/13/2022

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Author: Sara A. Noë
Narrators: A.J. Shuck, Mia Hutchinson-Shaw
Length: 18 hours 50 minutes
Producer: Audiobook Empire
Publisher: On the Cobblestone Road LLC Audio⎮2022
Genre: Fantasy
Series: Chronicles of Avilésor: War of the Realms , Book 1
Release date: Apr 9, 2022
Listen Here
Cato is the only true half-human, half-ghost hybrid in existence. He's powerful and unique with two divine powers instead of one. 

The United States government believes he is the key to developing a devastating weapon that will give humankind an advantage when war inevitably erupts between the Human Realm and Avilésor, the Ghost Realm. 

After being an unwilling test subject in Project Alpha for two years, Cato and the rest of his "lab-family" survive a transport accident to find themselves stranded and powerless in the middle of the wilderness. Hunted every step of the way by ghostly Shadow Guards with supernatural abilities and human Agents desperate to recapture their prisoners, the eight young fugitives are drawn to Cato's hometown where the Rip between Realms connects the worlds. 

Cato wants nothing to do with his past, but as his enemies close in, he realizes he's willing to do anything to protect his lab-family . . .
even kidnap the daughter of a ghost hunter and make a dangerous deal to become a mercenary.


Buy Links
Buy on Audible⎮Author’s Direct
Kobo⎮Scribd⎮Nook⎮Audiobooks.com

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A Word From The Author

Why Did You Decide to Turn Your Book into an Audiobook?

I want my stories to be discoverable and accessible to everyone, regardless of personal taste, convenience, time limitations, travel, or physical restrictions.
Personally, I always prefer to read print books. There’s something about holding an actual book in my hands, turning the pages, being able to flip back to earlier sections, and visually seeing my progress (and how many pages are left) that completes the experience for me. My imagination takes hold, and I’m fully immersed. Also… the smell of books. Fellow bookworms know exactly what I mean!
But publishing is about more than my own personal tastes. Even though I don’t read ebooks myself, I know that’s a format many people enjoy. I can certainly see the appeal of having your entire library digitized in one convenient device that’s easy to store and carry. For this reason, I always release my books in hardcover, paperback, and ebook options to cover all bases. I want readers to be able to enjoy my stories in whichever format they prefer.
Audiobooks are a separate, rapidly growing market. As much as I wanted to release A Fallen Hero as an audiobook so every format option was available to readers, that wasn’t feasible early in my writing career. Audiobooks are expensive to produce, especially when hiring a good narrator. I knew recording the audiobook myself wasn’t ideal. I didn’t have the time, training, experience, equipment, recording space, vocal range, or editing software to produce a high-quality audiobook. I needed to save up and hire a professional who could handle various character voices and read the book in a compelling, entertaining way. 
Thanks to the Indiana Arts Commission, I recently received a state grant as part of the On-Ramp Creative Entrepreneur Accelerator program. This phenomenal opportunity broke down the financial barriers for me and finally opened the door to an audiobook.
I’m so excited to tap into the audiobook market and open my story up to new readers who need or prefer audio! Not only do audiobooks provide an opportunity for people who are visually impaired or simply don’t have time to sit down and focus on a book, but they also change how people experience the story when a talented narrator puts on a performance. 
Partnering with Audiobook Empire, A.J. Shuck, and Mia Hutchinson-Shaw to make this project possible was such an insightful learning experience! I really didn’t know what to expect with the audiobook, and I’m so amazed and impressed by how my extremely talented narrators brought the characters and story to life with unique voices, dramatic storytelling abilities, and pure passion for what they do. The first time I listened to the audiobook, I found myself on the edge of my seat, waiting for the next chapter even though I knew what was going to happen next in the story. They elevated A Fallen Hero to a whole new level, and I can’t wait to share this new rendition of the award-winning book with the world!
About the Author: Sara A. Noë
Sara A. Noë is an award-winning author, artist, and photographer. She has had poetry, short fiction, and memoir works featured in various anthologies and journals since 2005, and her poetry is now available in the Indiana Poetry Archives. Notable art achievements include her photograph "Aftermath" published on the cover of Voices Literary Journal in 2018, photograph "Spiraling" awarded Best Still Life in a 2019 juried gallery exhibit, and charcoal artwork "The Raven" displayed in the Uptown Arts District of Michigan City, Indiana.
A Fallen Hero, the first novel in the Chronicles of Avilésor: War of the Realms series, was published in 2018 and has been critically acclaimed by NAM Editorial, The Prairies Book Review, Literary Titan, and Chronicle Focus Editorial, among others. The novel made book reviewer Lauren Gantt's list of Top 10 Favorite Books of 2019 and won the Literary Titan Gold Book Award in 2020. The series sequel, Phantom's Mask, was released in July 2020 and won the Literary Titan Gold Book Award less than two months after its release.
As an artist, Sara creates her own covers and graphics. She lives in a little cottage with her calico cat, Calypso, who has a fondness for chewing pens and being as loud and sassy as possible.
Website

About the Narrator: A.J. Shuck
A.J. Shuck is an Audiobook Narrator and Producer with 3 years of experience in Audiobooks and more than a decade of experience in stage acting and musical theatre. He fell in love with performing at the age of 13 when he premiered as Nerd #3 in a local production of High School Musical. He has a passion for books and reading especially YA Fiction and Mysteries. He believes strongly that the right words at the right time can change the world, certainly, they've changed his world. He is a proud member of the APA (Audio Publishers Association). He currently lives in Oklahoma City with the love of his life and their 3 beautiful daughters who have him wrapped around their little fingers.
Website

About the Narrator: Mia Hutchinson-Shaw
Mia Hutchinson-Shaw is an actor and narrator based in NYC. Mia creates soulful, saucy, and lovable characters with her arsenal of accents and flare for the fun. Mia comes to narration with her background in classical and period-drama theater Off Broadway and Regional Stages. She trained in the UK at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, BA Acting with Honors (UK Equivalent to BFA) and was raised between Massachusetts and Montana. When not working as an actor, Mia is thrifting for her next outrageous, colorful clothing item, getting on her soap box about low-waste living, or hunting handmade jewelers for a new item for her collection of giant earrings. Her favorite is a pair of hot pink Galahs (a bird from Australia).
Website

About the Producer: Audiobook Empire
At Audiobook Empire, audio reigns supreme, narrators are hailed as heroes, and headphones are worn with pride.
Marrying pomp and circumstance with quality you can count on, Audiobook Empire is a full-service production house that produces and promotes audiobooks with gusto.
Website⎮Twitter⎮Facebook⎮Instagram
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Author Spotlight On Savanna Loy

7/11/2022

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Debut Release...

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Disgusted by a world with no moral compass, “Resetters” decide to clean things up. They start the world over with just 500 people who they deem “good” enough.
The catch: Every bad action is monitored and goes against you. Too many bad actions and the whole town will meet its doom. The plan has worked, until now…
The model city, Utopian, can’t seem to keep the new kid Tommy out of trouble. The unthinkable happens and Utopian is set for a full ReSet, but when the ”Resetters” arrive, the town has already vanished. Tommy must unite with his foe, perfect Charlie, to save themselves and everyone else.
Grab your copy to dive into the world of adventure with Tommy, Charlie and the Utopian

Genre: Dystopian 
Pre-order/Releases Oct 15th: ReSet: Be Good Your Life Depends On It 

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Who am I?
Foster momma with 6 kiddos ...all ages 7 and under ...yes you read that correctly. Married to my hero, my RN husband. Breeder of Bernedoodles. I run on Jesus and Coffee and most recently, a published author who needs a fan base of followers. I want to give you books that let you escape life, even briefly. Whether that be an escape from extreme stress, an annoying boss, or just 10 minutes of alone time to ReSet :) I want to be that for you. This has been my dream since I was 9 years old and the boxcar children did it for me!
Happy Reading

Stalk me:
FB @Authorsavyloy 
IG @savy_loy

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MUTE by ML Nystrom

7/9/2022

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Author: ML Nystrom
Narrator: Annalee Scott
Length: 5 hours 22 minutes
Publisher: Hot Tree Publishing⎮2022
Genre: Motorcycle Romance
Series: Dragon Runners, Book 1
Release date: May 4, 2022
Listen Here
“He loves long, loves hard, but he don’t love easy.”
Katrina Vega is set on one thing: finishing college. She's determined not to let anything or anyone distract her, especially not hot, brooding bikers. On her mission to stay focused, she doesn't expect to be pulled into the fold of a motorcycle club, let alone into the arms of Alec "Mute" Stillwater. 
Unable to keep her guard up, Katrina soon discovers that beneath the hard and rough exterior of a family she's grown to care for, there's also loyalty and passion she's envious of. But falling for the club's enforcer will not only threaten her plans, but quite possibly her life.


Buy Links
Buy on Audible⎮iTunes⎮Google⎮Audiobooks.com

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​About the Narrator: Annalee Scott
I grew up in a small town in New England home to renowned authors like Louisa May Alcott and Henry David Thoreau. I also lived next to a library until I was 18. This instilled in me a love of stories that lit the path toward my career as an actor and audiobook narrator. I'm available for hire as an audiobook narrator and audiobook producer through ACX, findaway voices, fiver, and upwork.

Books are my passion! ​I'm part of a book club that I adore and review ARC's for fun so you could say reading goes beyond being a casual hobby for me. My experience as a professional actor in LA and my formal training from Emerson College inform my work but it's my love of reading that really drives my narration.
Website
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​About the Author: ML Nystrom
ML Nystrom had stories in her head since she was a child.  All sorts of stories of fantasy, romance, mystery, and anything else that captured her interest.  A voracious reader, she’s spent many hours devouring books; therefore, she found it only fitting she should write a few herself!  
ML has spent most of her life as a performing musician and band instrument repair technician, but that doesn’t mean she’s pigeon-holed into one mold.  She’s been a university professor, belly dancer, craftsperson, soap maker, singer, rock band artist, jewelry maker, lifeguard, swim coach, and whatever else she felt like exploring.  As one of her students said to her once, "Life’s too short to ignore the opportunities."  She has no intention of ever stopping... so welcome to her story world. She hopes you enjoy it!
Website

Interview with ML Nystrom 

Tell us about the process of turning your book into an audiobook.
There’s not much to tell.  I’d been thinking about audiobooks already when my publisher, Becky Johnson, the executive editor from Hot Tree Publishing, emailed me about the possibility.  I’m still relatively new to the world of writing and publishing, and I believe it’s best to rely on the people in the industry who know what they’re doing.  I signed the contract with HTP and let them handle everything.  I was included in the process of choosing a narrator, deciding on Annabelle because of her fabulous voice and tone, listening to the samples, and approving the recording, but the heavy-lifting was done by HTP and Findaway Voices, who I believe were supportive and user friendly..

Was a possible audiobook recording something you were conscious of while writing? 
Not even close.  The story behind writing Mute is simple.  When I turned fifty, I had an epiphany.  For years, I’d thought about someday projects.  Someday-I’ll-do-this, someday-I’ll-do-that, someday-I’ll-get-to-it; all of those somedays needed to be turned into todays.  I’ve wanted to write a book for years, decades to be exact.  Mute came to me in complete form.  He and his story popped into my head one morning during my daily commute to work.  I got him on paper and started the journey into the author world.  The original goal was to publish a book.  I had no idea Mute would go this far.

How did you select your narrator?
The nature of the book helped to determine the best voice type.  The setting, the main female character, the fact that the main male character has no speaking voice, all pointed towards a single female narrator, young soprano, slight American Southern accent without being annoying, and some diversity in voicing characters.  It wasn’t hard to determine what sound would fit the book best.  We heard some samples and found exactly who fit the book.

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? 
I didn’t have to do a lot.  Annalee Scott is very professional and did such a good job, there was very little I had to say.  Her pacing, her understanding of the characters and the story, her voicing, all of it was wonderful.

Were there any real life inspirations behind your writing? 
There’s always a real life inspiration as many of the characters in my books are modeled after real life events or people.  For instance, Mackie’s character in Mute, was modeled after my late step-dad, Mr. Donald Fields.  He was an army veteran of Vietnam who lost his right arm in order to save his fellow soldiers, and developed Parkinson’s as a result.  He spent his life as an inspiration to many even through the disease which took his life.  Mackie’s character pays homage to Don.

How do you manage to avoid burn-out? What do you do to maintain your enthusiasm for writing?
My writing time waxes and wanes, but I’ve not lost my enthusiasm yet.  My occupation as a band instrument repair technician has passed the thirty-two year mark and I’m still passionate about what I do in this field.  I think that’s because there is always something new to learn, a new challenge, or a new skill set to develop.  I love what I do as a tech.  I believe the same is true of writing.  There’s always a new story, a new character, a new genre.  So far, my passion for writing hasn’t hit burn-out, but if it does, I’ll take some time off, then come back when it’s fresh and new again.

What do you say to those who view listening to audiobooks as “cheating” or as inferior to “real reading”?
No, I don’t believe listening to an audiobook is cheating any more than I think reading a paperback is better than using an e-reader.  It’s up to the reader which format works best for their lives and lifestyle.  I’m thinking of sales reps who spend hours driving their cars, workers at repair benches or assembly lines, moms who only get a break while running errands or grocery shopping, and other such situations.  I love reading nightly, but it’s also nice to listen to a book while I’m folding laundry or digging in the garden.

In your opinion, what are the pros and cons of writing a stand-alone novel vs. writing a series? 
Tough one.  I think readers prefer series over standalones, but I believe the characters dictate the story.  When I write a secondary character, I ask “does he/she have a tale to tell.”  In the case of Mute, Stud was born, then Blue and Table.  Brick came from a reader who wrote to me asking about a prequel, and I found one.  However, there are some stories that are completed in one book.  So far, I’ve not published a standalone, but that may come one day.

What bits of advice would you give to aspiring authors?
The same advice that was given to me by another author.  
Write something everyday. 
 Do not finish what you write.
That keeps the ideas flowing and your progress moving forward.  Other tips would be to research your publishing options carefully, get a good editor, and be open to your beta readers.  Don’t try to do everything on your own.  Getting the book on paper is the easy part.  It’s the publishing part that gets hard.

Do you have any tips for authors going through the process of turning their books into audiobooks?
Matching the narrator’s voice to the main character and setting of the book is essential.  Annalee’s light soprano was perfect for Mute.  An older woman’s smoky alto would not have fit well.  Pronunciations of names, accents, character diversity, pacing are all important, but the underlying vocal tone is what sets it all up.

 What’s next for you? 
Right now, I’m revisiting my first series with some new material, then I have another new series sketched out. Perhaps I’ll try a different genre.  Whatever pathway hits my head and draws my attention is where I’ll go.  We’ll see where I end up.


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The Wheels of Cady Grey by Paul L. Arvidson

6/30/2022

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Author: Paul L. Arvidson
Narrator: Sarah-Jane Rose
Length: 6 hours 43 minutes
Publisher: Paul L. Arvidson⎮2020
Genre: Thriller
Series: Cady Grey Mysteries, Book 1
Release date: November 7, 2020

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 Get in the way of ruthless people and it’s gonna get you killed.
“Forget all you know about disabled people. This novel will blow everything you knew out of the window. A story of strength, intelligence, love and disability.”
Cady Grey is invisible. One of the ‘perks’ of being in a wheelchair. Sometimes it’s better that way, ‘specially when you’re a sweary, spitty teenage girl who’s main aim is getting through high-school in one piece. But when a sinister shell company wants to knock their school down and is prepared to stop at nothing. Cady and her friends are the only ones invested enough to care and smart enough to investigate. Regardless of the danger, Cady finally gives up being invisible to fight. And she discovers that getting in the way of politicians and their schemes might just get her killed.
“Cady, with spark, snark and enthusiasm will capture your heart in such a way you will want her to be your best friend. She is a voice, hero and visibility for a young disabled generation, a guide for us all and a mystery to solve. Grab your copy of a thriller unlike any other!”
Buy Links
Buy on Kobo⎮Google⎮Scribd⎮Chirp⎮Nook⎮Author’s Direct

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About the Author: Paul L. Arvidson
Paul Arvidson is a forty-something ex lighting designer, now SFF author who lives in rural Somerset, UK. He spends his non-author time bringing up his children, fighting against being sucked in to his wife’s chicken breeding business and preventing Morris the Dashund contributing to his typing. His SFF works form ‘The Dark Trilogy’. Dark is the first book in the trilogy and came out in 2017. The sequel Darker came out in 2018 and the series will be completed by a final book in 2019. There will not be a prize for guessing its title.
Website


About the Narrator: Sarah-Jane Rose
I trained as an actor in London and spent almost 30 years in the Theatre. During that time I also worked in the Wine Trade with restaurants and sommeliers to create great wine lists. I always tried to keep my two lives separate, but for 2021 I am bringing my two worlds together in perfect balance. I am not two people, I am one person who works as a narrator and voice actor, as well as a wine consultant.
 
Join me this year as I am embark on Wine and Words, a place to bring together my two favourite things. I will be providing live feeds and online events about books and wine, follow me on Instagram for regular updates and live feeds @sarajaneroseuk.
Website
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The Tailor of Riga by Jonathan Harries

6/20/2022

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Author: Jonathan Harries
Narrator: Jeff Bachar
Length: 6 hours 54 minutes
Publisher: Jonathan Harries Ink⎮2022
Genre: Historical Fiction; Action/Adventure
Series: Tales of the Sica, Book 1
Release date: May 26, 2022​
 had absolutely no intention of getting into the family business. As I told my father the night he enlightened me on what my ancestors had been up to for over a thousand years, “Sticking a curved dagger into someone’s liver ain’t quite my cup of tea.”
As it turned out, I had no choice. When your family’s been assassinating reprobates and other loathsome individuals for seventy generations, you have a certain obligation. 
So, while it was a little disconcerting to hear how dear old granny would have become a prostitute if Grandpa Joe hadn’t whacked one of Germany’s top agents just before the start of World War I, it certainly piqued my interest. Of course, as I discovered, prostitution and murder were pretty de rigueur for my family.
After all, it was my great-grandfather who was hired by the British secret service to kill Jack the Ripper and my mother’s cousins who took part in the attempted assassination of Lenin. 
My only regret when I finally took up the family sica was not eliminating Jean-Bedel Bokassa just before he crowned himself Emperor of the Central African Empire and ate my two friends.
But we all make mistakes.

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A Word with Jonathan Harries 

Before working with Jeff on The Tailor of Riga, I’d only turned one other novel into an audiobook.
The experiences were totally different. Jeff was collaborative, open to suggestions, and very thorough with his research into characters and accents. We communicated early and often and he was always willing to change anything that made me uncomfortable. In my previous experience with an audiobook they sent me a bunch of chapters to listen to rather than comment on and I felt more like an observer than a participant.



All of the family members in the book are real and were present at the places mentioned in the time frame. As I wrote in the preface, the story is about what could have happened rather than what did. There was very little fodder in the genealogical studies I did on my family. In fact it was only when I learned that my great grandfather had immigrated to England from Riga at the same time of the Jack the Ripper murders, changing both his name and profession, that the idea of a 2000-year-old family assassination business popped into my mind



I suffer more from disappointment than burnout. I have two or three manuscripts that are perhaps a few chapters from completion that I suddenly lost interest in. I think most of the issue had to do with the characters in the story. As much as I tried to know them, I think they always ended up being somewhat elusive that left them feeling like strangers.



I am not an audiobook listener but that is not by choice. I’d love to listen to audiobooks, but I suffer from ADHD. I walk a lot which is the perfect venue for listening, but I find my mind wandering and I end up missing so much content that it becomes impossible to follow the story. For some reason I can focus when I read and so that’s the medium that works best for me.

 I’ve only written one stand-alone novel and I certainly hope to write more. The obvious answer – at least to me – with a series, is getting to develop the characters. Even though my great-uncle Leon is only briefly mentioned in the Tailor of Riga, I am now on book three using him as the central character. I only knew him briefly as a child, but he had such a powerful personality and repertoire of stories of exotic travels and mysterious women that his character flows seamlessly through whatever situation I insert him into.



Food and drink feature prominently in my books—mainly Indian food, which I absolutely love. My father lived in India for about five years and developed a taste for both Northern and Southern Indian cuisines. Luckily Indian food is one of the dominant cuisines of South Africa, and so he got me into eating it from an early age. I’ve visited India countless times both on business and vacation and have learned to cook different dishes. Both my sons are curry fanatics, too, which I find very gratifying. In my first series, the Roger Storm books, you’ll find the characters knocking back martinis. I absolutely love martinis – although I’ve stopped as I got to love them a little too much during the early days of COVID – and think of them as the quintessential drink. I prefer gin martinis, though I will substitute vodka on occasion. The thing that bugs me most about some restaurants is when they serve a martini in a round or stemless glass. There is no more perfect glass than the traditional V-shape with a long stem and round base. I consider it a crime to serve a martini in anything else.

My own question: Describe your writing style.
I always think of myself as an Uber driver. I drop my characters off at a certain location, pick them up when they’re done, and transport them to the next place.



 I certainly don’t consider listening to books as “cheating,” or see it as inferior to “real reading.’’ That’s like thinking emails are a lazy person’s answer to letters or texts the tools of the loafer.  On the contrary, they are simply the utility of the electronic age, which you can either embrace or be swallowed up by.



When I write I am totally focused on the words as they appear on the page and never even consider what they’d sound like in an audiobook or if they’d appear on a TV series. If I did, I think it would be better to write the story in a script format, which would at least be cleaner. If I did have “audiobook” in mind, I might write less dialogue and use more descriptive language, which I think – and this is pure conjecture – may be easier for the narrator. I’d love to know the answer to this question.


 I always try to start the “next” novel as soon as I feel like I’m getting to the end of the one I’m currently writing. This generally means there is no actual moment for celebration. I’ve also found that friends and family who were all full of congratulations and good wishes after the first few books now barely batter an eyelid when I announce that I’ve just finished the next one. Jerry Della Femina, a famous old ad guy that you’ve probably never heard of, said, “Creative people always put their faces up to be kissed and end up getting them slapped.” That’s not to say that if I hit a million sales I wouldn’t break out a bottle of 1996 Dom Perignon from my imaginary cellar.


About the Author: Jonathan Harries
Jonathan Harries began his career as a trainee copywriter at Foote, Cone & Belding in South Africa and ended it as Chairman of FCB Worldwide with a few stops in between.
After winning his first Cannes Lion award, he was offered a job at Grey Advertising in South Africa, where he worked as a copywriter and ended up as CEO at age 29, just before emigrating to the US. Like most immigrants in those days, he started once again from scratch. After a five year stint as Executive Creative Director of Hal Riney in Chicago, he was offered a senior position at FCB. Within ten years, he became the Global Chief Creative Officer and spent the next ten traveling to over 90 countries, racking up 8 million miles on American Airlines alone.
He began writing his first novel, Killing Harry Bones, in the last year of his career and transitioned into becoming a full-time author a year ago, just after retiring from FCB. He’s been writing ever since while doing occasional consulting work for old clients.
Jonathan has a great love of animals, and he and his wife try to go on safari every year. They’ve been lucky enough to visit game reserves in South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Rwanda, Tanzania, India, and Sri Lanka.
Website


About the Narrator: Jeff Bachar
Jeff Bachar is a professional voice artist who delights in helping authors bring their stories to life for listeners. He studied acting at the North Carolina School of the Arts and has a BFA from DePaul University’s Theatre School. In addition to audiobooks, Jeff specializes in commercial and political voiceover as well as museum audio tour narration. With a master’s degree in Public Health, he excels at health-related narration for corporate videos, e-learning, and explainer videos. When he is not in his recording studio, Jeff loves to explore the world and its many diverse cultures with his family. He can be reached at jjbachar@me.com

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