Name: Now, Madeleine Ross, known as Maddy. Then, Scarlet Butler.
Age: 24
Description: 5’ 9” gym fit body. Green eyes, long, dark brown hair, worn up or down. Some might call her promiscuous. She doesn’t, or at least didn’t.

Independent, she’s capable of looking after herself, and although she has a mysterious background she’s successfully reinvented herself as a good friend but something of a loner, even now living a double life, in more ways than one. Loyal to her few friends, she’ll do whatever it takes to protect them. 
she loves reading, eating and sex, although not necessarily in that order. She abhors small talk, likes steak with a friend, drinks red wine in public but bourbon in private. She has no pets, no plants, nothing that has to rely on her in order to stay alive but she has discovered a love of horses so who knows if that will change in the future?

​

​In the space of a single night, four lives collide as Berlin staggers under the weight of British bombs. Mick, a Lancaster pilot, proposed to Grace on his last leave but one more mission stands in between him and the end of his tour. Grace harbors a secret, one which she fears might change the nature of their relationship forever. Unsure of how he will respond, she has decided to tell him upon his return knowing that to do so risks losing him forever.
Seven hundred miles away in Berlin, war-weary firefighter Karl is haunted by the images he's seen both on the home front and in Russia. Now he takes command of a group of teenage auxiliaries who find themselves on the front lines of Germany's defenses against a nightly rain of fire. On a call, he meets Ursula, a young woman who lives near his station. Karl quickly finds himself falling for her, unaware that she is playing a dangerous game, one which might place his own life in danger.
As the raid unfolds, they face choices which will forever change them, and those they love.
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About the Author: Lee Hutch​
Award winning author Lee Hutch grew up on the Texas/Louisiana border. As a child, he enjoyed reading history books and hanging around fire stations. As an adult, he entered the fire service and worked as both a firefighter and then an arson investigator before an injury led to his retirement. Along the way, he picked up a BA and an MA in History and an MS in Criminal Justice. He now teaches history for a community college in Southeast Texas. He loves books, cats, boxing, the Red Sox, and the New Orleans Saints.
His historical interests include the history of the fire service, particularly how firefighters have adapted to wartime conditions, the American Civil War, and the World Wars. When he's not in the classroom or in his office, Lee can be found reading or listening to either a Red Sox or a Saints game on the radio with his cat Anastasia. His next novel is set in Civil War era New York.
Learn more on Lee's Website

Was a possible audiobook recording something you were conscious of while writing?
It really wasn’t. I’m an audiobook enthusiast, but the reason I wasn’t conscious of it while writing it was due to the wide variety of character accents. I wasn’t sure a single narrator could handle all of that. I posted the book for auditions on ACX but it was rather like a pipe dream on my part. I really wasn’t sure I’d be able to find anyone willing to give it a go. You can imagine my joy when I found the perfect narrator.  

How did you select your narrator?
Siobhan was the second audition that I received. The audition clip was, I believe, around three and a half minutes long. However, I knew within the first twenty seconds that she was the one to do the book. Knowing some other authors who have gone through the same process, they all told me that when you heard the right audition, you’d just know. My experience certainly confirmed that.  

Were there any real life inspirations behind your writing?
Yes. As a retired firefighter, I know my way around a fire station and the fireground. The camaraderie of Karl and his crew was very much drawn from my own experiences. Also, when I was in grad school working on my MA in History, I conducted research into the German Fire Service during World War Two and had the opportunity to interview several individuals who worked during the war either as professional firefighters or as auxiliary firefighters. Readers or listeners will also observe that both Karl and Michael struggle with nightmares and intrusive memories. This is also drawn from personal experience as I suffer the same as it relates to my own career. 

Are you an audiobook listener? What about the audiobook format appeals to you?
I listen to 65-70 books a year, about 2/3rds of it fiction and the rest non-fiction. I spend about two hours in the car every day, and it is a nice way to take a book with you on the go. But that’s not the real reason why I like audiobooks. I’m a HUGE fan of old time radio dramas like Dragnet, Gunsmoke, etc. Listening to a novel, with all of the characters having distinctive voices and hearing the emotion in the voice of the narrator is rather like listening to a classic radio program. 

Is there a particular part of this story that you feel is more resonating in the audiobook performance than in the book format?
Siobhan did an incredible job with Ursula’s character. Her narration of the chapter in which Ursula is making her way through the streets of Berlin as an air raid is in progress with the Gestapo on her heels will definitely stick with the listener. That scene is my favorite in the book because of the narration!  

If you had the power to time travel, would you use it? If yes, when and where would you go? 
Since I teach history after my retirement from the fire department, I get asked this question a lot. Honestly, I’m rather happy to live in the present world since I like having access to things like anti-biotics and modern medicine. That said, there is one place and time I would want to visit. I’d like to go to Russia, right before the Revolution and attend a ball at the Winter Palace so I could ask Maria Nikolaevna Romanova for a dance. She’s been my history crush since I first saw a picture of her when I was 12 or 13. 

If this title were being made into a TV series or movie, who would you cast to play the  primary roles? 
I actually wrote a blog post about this right after the book came out. I think it would make a great four part series. (Netflix….are you reading this?) I would like Grace Robinson to be played by Rachel Hurd-Wood. Michael O’Hanlon should be played by Liam Ainsworthy. To play Ursula Müller, I would pick Sophie Turner. And last but not least, Karl Weber absolutely has to be played by Volker Bruch. 

How did you celebrate after finishing this novel?
Unfortunately, my injuries and the lingering complications prevent me from doing much in the way of excitement. So there was no jetting off to Tahiti or spending a month in the Bahamas after the first draft was finished. When my editor and I wrapped up our work, I had a glass of calvados and a cigar. Honestly, I was so exhausted and brain dead by that point that I doubt I’d have been up to a wild party even if I was physically able to get around a bit more than I am. 
Do you have any tips for authors going through the process of turning their books into audiobooks?
Trust. Your. Narrator. I know your book is your baby, but just like a parent has to step away and let the child take over their own lives when they reach adulthood, so too must the author put their book in the narrator’s hands and then let the narrator work their magic. Don’t try to micromanage. You picked your narrator for a reason, so let them do their work. If you’ve written a novel, remember that your narrator is truly an actor/actress, and just as those who perform on stage and film have the freedom to interpret characters from the script, allow your narrator the freedom to interpret the characters they will be playing. 

What’s next for you?
I’ve finished my second novel, tentatively titled Molly’s Song. It is set in Civil War era New York and New Orleans. It goes off to my editor in the spring and I’m shooting for a Fall 2020 release. In May, I’ll start writing my third novel, which I am presently calling Dark Raven. It will be set in Russia between the years 1912 and 1921.

About the Narrator: Siobhan Dowd
I record High Quality Voiceover in variations of my native South London accent - I can offer both bright and enthusiastic commercial reads, or a more laid back and enigmatic explainer style. 
I have lots of experience in Explainers, E-Learning, Commericals, Audiobooks, and more.
I work in VO full time, and deliver high quality audio from my fully equipped home recording in South West London, always including amends or pick ups as needed to ensure complete client satisfction. 
I use Source Connect or Cleanfeed for remote record-directed sessions and I can travel in and around London and the South East for studio based jobs.
Please have a look (and listen) around my site and get in touch by email, phone, or via social media if you’d like any more information on my services or to book a job.
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When writing “WinterDream,” - a retelling of the Nutcracker, there were a lot of things that inspired me to create the world and the characters! I’ll give you a glimpse into what helped bring “WinterDream” to life! 

1. The Nutcracker Ballet: 
   

Of course when writing about the Nutcracker, one would be inspired by the ballet, first commissioned in 1891. It’s been a part of our holiday traditions for decades, and it’s a story that many of us have heard, know, and love. Without the story of Clara (or Marie) and her Nutcracker, “WinterDream” never would have existed! 

1. The Nutcracker Music 
   

I remember as a little girl, I used to dance around my living room as I listened to “The Nutcracker” ballet. There was something always so whimsical and magical about the music, and the love for the classical score traveled with me as I grew older. The song that speaks to me the most, and what started the idea of “WinterDream” was actually: 
The Nutcracker, Op. 71, Act 2: No. 14 Pas de Deux. When you hear this song, you’re hearing the entire novel in about 5 minutes. 

1. The Nutcracker in the Movies.
   

I might be dating myself a little, but back in 1990 there was an Animated feature of this holiday tale, entitled - “The Nutcracker Prince.” As a child, I remember seeing it on the Disney channel, and I fell in love with the Prince, with Clara - and their magical dancing scene. It remained in my memory for years - and was one of the stemming pieces in which inspired “WinterDream,” - and all the characters, including Uncle Drosselmeyer and the Mouse King. 
In 1993, Warner Brothers released a version of George Balanchine’s “The Nutcracker,” famously starring Macaulay Culkin. (And I remember eating that movie up!) 
In doing my research for this book, I watched several versions of the ballet, and there are so many to choose from! 

1. Christmas at home 
   

You can’t have “The Nutcracker” without the magic of the holiday. It’s true that the Nutcracker is centered around the holiday of Christmas - because without “Christmas Magic,” the wooden toy wouldn’t come to life! I actually started writing “WinterDream” right in front of my Christmas tree. There’s just something about being at home, during Christmas, with a tree and lights and feeling the love. All of that and more helped to fuel what I imagined for Clara and her family during the opening scene at her family’s party! 

1. Queen Victoria and Albert 
   

It’s no secret I’m a sucker for romance. I’d just started watching “Queen Victoria” on the BBC, and really loved the romance between Queen Victoria and Prince Albert (which also led me to watch “The Young Victoria” over and over again. As I watched, I wanted to sort of capture this royal romance in Clara and the Nutcracker. I’m not sure if I did that entirely, but - they did stand as an influence in the way I wrote the two characters together. 

1. Beauty and the Beast 
   

Every fairytale has some sort of twist to it, to make it all the more interesting. Cinderella has to leave the ball by midnight. Rapunzel must keep her Prince a secret from the witch. Snow White must be kissed by her True Love in order to awaken. For the Nutcracker, in “WinterDream,” I needed there to be a spell - something to free him from his wooden bonds, and to give Clara a reason to be sent to WinterDream, and to fight for what she loved. Beauty and the Beast and the spell that Beast is placed under played a role in the way I viewed the Nutcracker - and a little of the struggles that he faced. He might not have been a fury beast, but he did have his own obstacles he had to face as a wooden soldier. 

1. Mrs. Weasley 
   

Mother Ginger was entirely based on the movie version of “Mrs. Weasley” from Harry Potter. I loved her spunk and her whit - but her kindness, and her willingness to place food in front of someone and make them feel at home. She just makes you want to stay forever, and bake in her kitchen. 

1. The Princess Bride 
   

The Nutcracker has these lines of dialogue that are very resonant of “The Princess Bride” - more important, Wesley. As he’s fighting against the Mouse King with a sword, he’s throwing out insults that are just as whity and beloved as the ones we hear in the classic ‘80s movie. I think anyone who reads this, is definitely going to get some Wesley vibes.

1.  War and Peace (2016 Miniseries) 
   

I love anything that I can find on the BBC if it has to do with historical drama, and romance. And I was so intrigued by the idea of a miniseries of “War and Peace,” (starring one of my favorite actresses, Lily James.) After having seen the show, and listened to the score, I felt as though I was able to see an older side to St. Petersberg, and how society of the past had been. Having already been familiar with the story of the Romanovs (and having watched a ton on the family and the history) - along with classic movies like Doctor Zhivago, I knew I wanted to give a nod to the Russian Ballet origins. Traditionally, The Nutcracker is a German tale - but began as a Russian Ballet. I felt it only right to bring Clara and her Nutcracker to Russia - and used influence from War and Peace to make it happen! 

1.  Girl Power 
   

It might seem a little cliche to say, but girl power was something I really wanted to bring to “WinterDream.”  We all love a strong heroine/hero. I'm all about writing characters (and in this case, women) who are strong, independent, brave - but most importantly - real. We all have our moments of weakness; those times when we're unsure of how to go on - if we can go on. . . but have the willpower to try. Clara finds herself in a few situations of battling against mice and facing unexpected villains - and doing so with her own sort of bravery. ​

August 1888. Jericho Mannion is the captain of an old, cash-strapped steamer named the Orion. He's been steadily losing money to his competitors, the railways. When he finds out from his first mate, Tal MacTavish, that the next passage across Lake Erie has only a few passengers, his hopes sink of ever getting out of debt. But Providence has smiled upon him. Though the passenger list is small, they have almost a full cargo hold, thanks to William Ross and the university he works for.
Ross is the team leader of a university archeology dig tasked with retrieving the debris from a meteorite crash in western Ohio. He is quite anxious to get his find back to the university for study and is willing to pay Jericho double the fare for his team and cargo for a straight shot across Lake Erie from Toledo, Ohio to Buffalo, NY. Jericho becomes suspicious when Ross refuses to divulge the contents of his cargo and the haste in which he wants to cross. Desperately needing money, Jericho reluctantly agrees when Ross finally offers him triple the fare; he will take him and his cargo on the nonstop 14-hour trek across the lake.
But what few people on the ship know is what was initially thought to be a meteorite crash turned out to be an alien craft. The crates in the cargo area hold the remains of the ship. And what no one knows, not even the university team, is that something in those crates is still alive.
Now, in a growing storm, alone in the middle of the lake, people are turning up dead. Who will survive the crossing when something wicked this way comes?

About the Author: William Todd
​
I have been writing online since the early 2000’s, primarily writing horror stories in the style of Poe and Lovecraft. I was the 2nd most popular author on the website storiesbyemail.com for two years before moving on. I had my first book, a Victorian era horror compilation called Bumps in the Night, published by Mystic Moon Press just a week before they closed their website and never saw my hard work pay off. Afterwards I took publishing into my own hands, became an Indie author and haven’t looked back. My first self-published book was Dead of Night, another compilation of Victorian horror stories, published September 2016 by Createspace and on Kindle by KDP. After its publication I left my comfort zone for mystery and wrote a short story about Sherlock Holmes in the Conan Doyle style. I loved it so much I then did a longer story A Reflection of Evil, both published in 2017 through Createspace and KDP. I have just release Beyond the Gossamer Veil, another compilation of both Victorian and modern supernatural/horror stories and am in the beginning stages of my third Sherlock Holmes installment.
Goodreads

Tell us about the process of turning your book into an audiobook.
Answer: I never used to even think about how a book would sound as an audiobook...until I finally had one done. Now, I do. The story is most important, whether read or heard. A bad story is a bad story. But I am more cognizant now when I write with how a phrase might sound read aloud. I think my audiobooks now are much easier on the ear then my first ones because of that. And my narrator, Ben Werling, I’ve used on every story. He’s great and has a wide vocal range. He makes turning a book into audio so much easier on me. I think we’re a good team. I basically give him my manuscript with some simple directions as to accents, maybe weird words that might pop up, since I write typically late Victorian era material, and he does the rest. He does a chapter at a time and sends them to me to okay. We rarely have to redo anything. I am truly lucky because the process, at least for me, is very simple with Ben at the helm.

Was a possible audiobook recording something you were conscious of while writing? Answer: Because audiobooks are so prevalent and getting more and more popular by the day, I think you have to be conscious of it becoming an audiobook while writing, especially if you plan on using that format. And I think an author is selling himself short if he doesn’t at least consider putting his creations on audiobook. It is another channel to garner readers and followers...and revenue. 
​
How did you select your narrator?
I put up three pages of my book for narrators to “audition”. I listen to each audition and pick the best one. But because Ben and I have such a good working relationship, ultimately, he gets my jobs. It is not only because he is such a good narrator. I write Sherlock Holmes and gothic horror. At least for the Holmes stories, I prefer having the same Holmes and Watson in each of my stories. Ben has been hands down the best Holmes and Watson I have found so why would I switch? I don’t think my readers would like that, and I know they would hear the difference.

Are you an audiobook listener? What about the audiobook format appeals to you? Answer: I am. Until I land on the best-sellers list or get a movie deal, I have a job to pay bills and raise my family. I drive 45 minutes one way. Sometimes, that hour and a half is the only time I have to myself, and the perfect way to spend that time is listening to audiobooks. There are just times in this hustle and bustle life where cracking open a paperback is not possible. But your ears are always available to listen.

About the Narrator: Ben Werling
Ben is an award winning actor and voice over professional, who has performed all across the United States. From Shakespeare to Neil Simon, he has displayed a versatility and diversity in the characters and dialects he has portrayed. Ben received the Joseph Jefferson Award for Leading Actor as abusive talk show host Barry Champlain in Eric Bogosian's TALK RADIO, and was nominated for Best Supporting Actor as Prosecutor Villeforte in Alexander Dumas' THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO, also in Chicago. He has worked with an extensive list of theaters in Chicago over the last three decades: Steppenwolf, Bailiwick, Famous Door, Next, A Red Orchid, Raven Theater, First Folio, Writer's Theater, Buffalo Theater Ensemble, as well as Utah Shakespeare Festival, Illinois Shakespeare Festival, Indiana Repertory, Madison Repertory, and Allenberry Playhouse in Boiling Springs, Pennsylvania. He is an Ensemble member of Shattered Globe Theater in Chicago. For almost a decade he was the voice of the Adler Planetarium, hosting live shows and pointing out the stars, planets and constellations on the big dome. Ben has an eponymous weekly vlog on YouTube, that he films, produces, edits and narrates. He lives in Chicago with his wife Amy, two dogs and three cats.

Gayle Carline has a fantastic sale going on now!

From Fri­day, Feb. 14 thru Mon­day, Feb. 17, pick up the fol­low­ing deals on Kindle:
FREEZER BURN–FREE
HIT OR MISSUS–FREE
THE HOT MESS–99 CENTS
A MORE DEADLY UNION–99 CENTS

P.I. Peri Min­neopa has had enough. She’s clos­ing her busi­ness, mar­ry­ing her detec­tive boyfriend, and set­tling down to a life of ease–until her brother shows up, accused of a mur­der he swears he didn’t com­mit. Now she’s back in the thick of things, inves­ti­gat­ing the death of an engi­neer who may have been steal­ing techno-secrets from other com­pa­nies. Her rela­tion­ship with her brother is an icy one, at best, and she strug­gles with her ambiva­lence, as well as her desire to leave inves­tiga­tive work behind. Dig­ging around in people’s lives is rea­son­ably easy, but when the bul­lets start fly­ing, will Peri be able to keep her promise?

​1. Murder Bytes is your fifth Peri Minneopa mystery. What can you tell us about Peri, and how does this book continue the traditions established by the other novels in the series?
 
“In the last book, A More Deadly Union, Peri was left traumatized after solving the case. In the latest story, she just wants to stop investigating crime, settle down, and marry her longtime boyfriend. Unfortunately, that’s not the way her life works. Her brother needs her help, to prove he did not commit murder. She is reluctant to help him, both because she is still feeling the trauma of the last case and because her brother does not want any kind of relationship with her—he is only using her to get out of trouble. To me, it is a classic question of the thickness of blood and water, and how much you are willing to go to bat for ‘that relative.’”
 
2. In Murder Bytes, Peri re-opens her practice to help her estranged brother. What keeps Peri from simply referring him to another qualified detective?
“At the end of the day, Dev is her big brother. She wants to believe that he considers her his little sister, that someday, somehow, he will realize his familial love for her. There’s a piece of advice, to ‘raise the child you have and not the one you want.’ In Peri’s case, she wants the brother who wants to be close to her, and has a hard time accepting the brother that he is.”
 
3. Peri’s boyfriend, Detective Skip Carlton, is now her official fiancé. They have bought a home together, and are selling their houses. Because Peri’s house sold and Skip’s is still on the market, she is living in the new place while it’s being remodeled. How is this affecting their relationship?
 
“The continual stream of workers and noise in their house has Peri’s stress dialed up to 11, on top of her PTSD. It creates conflict for them, in that he wants to defer remodeling decisions to her, so that she will be happy, and she would like him more involved, to take the pressure off. In addition, he wants to help her with her brother’s problem, but would like her to just sit on the sidelines and watch—something she’s never been good at.”
 
4. There are a number of familiar characters in Murder Bytes that readers will recognize from the earlier novels in the series. Who are your personal favorites, and what happens to them in this particular story?
 
“I like them all, for individual reasons. Blanche is always Peri’s rock as her BFF, and I appreciate her good advice. I admire Police Chief Fletcher—he is the right man for the job. Of course, Benny Needles will always be my favorite. In this book, he gets his own chapters, and even has a ‘special friend.’ He and Peri have a lot of warm, connecting moments, and I’m very pleased with his growth.”
 
5. Murder Bytes takes place in Southern California, in the Orange County area. How integral is this setting to the Peri Minneopa mysteries, and why did you place the series in this environment?
 
“When I started this series, I wanted a small town feel, but not so small that I wouldn’t kill off all the residents! They say to write what you know, and I know Southern California. My hometown of Placentia has a very small-town feel, even though it is locked into the vast Orange County. That made it perfect—nonresidents are constantly coming in and out of town, giving my stories lots of victims. Plus, I’m very proud to live in Placentia (we sometimes call it P-Town). I might as well do my part to put it on the map.”
 
6. Are you working on another Peri Minneopa mystery? If so, what can you tell us about it?
 
“I am advertising this as the fifth and final installment of Peri Minneopa Mysteries. I think I’ve taken her to a place where the next book would be such a completely different flavor, it will have to be a new series of mysteries. Don’t worry—I’ll start writing them! In the meantime, I have a sequel to my romantic suspense, Murder on the Hoof, to write.”

​

Gayle Carline is a typical Californian, meaning that she was born somewhere else. She moved to Orange County from Illinois in 1978, and landed in Placentia a few years later.

Her husband, Dale, bought her a laptop for Christmas in 1999 because she wanted to write. A year after that, he gave her horseback riding lessons. When she bought her first horse, she finally started writing.

Gayle began writing journalistic pieces for California Riding Magazine, then quickly added "humor columnist" to her resume with a weekly column in her local newspaper, the Placentia News-Times. What she really wanted to do was write mysteries, however, so in 2009 she crossed that off her list with the first of her Peri Minneopa mysteries.

Never at a loss for words or stories, she will continue to write as long as the ideas keep popping into her head. In her spare time, Gayle likes to sit down with friends and laugh over a glass of wine. And maybe plan a little murder and mayhem for the next novel.

http://gaylecarline.com/

​Another snark filled series from Eric Asher and I love it. All those creatures you thought were made up are real in this Templars Novella. Non stop action from page one. I could not put it down and read it in just a few hours!Another snark filled series from Eric Asher and I love it. All those creatures you thought were made up are real in this Templars Novella. Non stop action from page one. I could not put it down and read it in just a few hours! ~ Lynn 

​The best-selling author of The Vesik series flexes his comedy muscles in a hilarious new comedy urban fantasy series!

They are the first line of defense against the things that go bump in the night.

They are the keepers of a centuries-old legacy of The Church defending the world against the forces of darkness.

They are a bunch of highly armed rednecks, internet video celebrities, soccer moms, and assorted broken nutjobs.

They are the new Templars, and things are about to get weird.

From the pages of Bubba the Monster Hunter comes a new series featuring the Hunters from around the United States hunting down monsters, fighting off supernatural baddies, and making life really, really bad for the things that hunt people.

Now Mason Dixon is back, and this time his problems are bigger than ever!

Like, dino-sized!

The sasquatch is on his side, the zigmals are cute, and the gowrows are downright adorable, but when Mason Dixon and his sidekick Emma run afoul of not only a dinosaur, but also MoMo the Missouri Monster, he's in for the fight of his life!

The New Templars novella series is a new series of short novels, similar to BookShots. Mason Dixon - Monster Hunter is the first in the series by popular urban fantasy and steampunk author Eric R. Asher.

​Eric is a former bookseller, cellist, and comic seller currently living in Saint Louis, Missouri. A lifelong enthusiast of books, music, toys, and games, he discovered a love for the written word after being dragged to the library by his parents at a young age. When he is not writing, you can usually find him reading, gaming, or buried beneath a small avalanche of Transformers.

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