Danielle Lyndon, owner of a 200-year-old bookstore in Greenville, Alabama, has built a fortress of suspicion around her heart. A tragic fire has taken the lives of her beloved Grandmother and mother, leaving her with nothing but an ancient collection of magical books.

Facing what seems like an eternity of loneliness and abandonment, her life is inexorably altered late one night when a runaway teenage girl breaks into her store and Danielle receives a mysterious text message…from her dead mother.

The only person who can help her is Aaron Donnell, a reckless, tormented drifter with haunting silver-blue eyes who is searching for the burglar, his younger sister. Aaron somehow holds the answers to the mysterious texts, but he’s arrogant, dangerous, and is clearly no good for her. The problem is . . . . she’s falling in love with him.

Consumed with Aaron’s mysterious darkness and the prospect of locating the source of the texts, Danielle allows him to unwittingly drag her into an insane, mystical world where human trafficking is the usual, black magic reigns supreme, and inhuman power lasts forever.

Are the dark chasms of magic and eternity too wide and deep for love to cross? Is the collateral damage in their battle too high of a price to pay if it leaves someone with their soul encased in stone?

The Story
I found the blurb and story line for Soul of Stone intriguing. Soul of Stone is a quick paced, page turning read. I found myself immersed in Danielle's bookstore. Too bad it isn't real! The characters were well defined with complex backstories. That cliffhanger though...well played Traci McDonald.

I had 2 issues with this story. Set in rural Alabama the author went a bit over board with the Southern colloquialisms; especially in the first quarter of the story. It was not as prevalent in the rest of the book. Being a Southerner I can say we do not use southern jargon that frequently in our daily speech, but maybe Alabama is different. Secondly the author's over use of the like. Her descriptions and details were fantastic; however, she over used the simile.

Overall I enjoyed the story and will check out the rest of the series.

The Narrator
As I said, I am a Southerner so it is easy to spot when someone is faking or forcing an accent. I found that Amanda Stribling did a flawless job narrating this story. She really sold me on the story and I loved her accent. I hope she does the rest of the series.

​~ Lynn 

​About the Author: Traci McDonald

Traci McDonald is a blind author of clean romance novels, including Burning Bridger (Muse It Up, 2015), Killing Casanova (Crimson Romance, 2012) and the forthcoming Soul of Stone. She believes that falling in-love is the greatest risk of all, and her non-explicit romances are about hurting, healing and finding true love. Traci has been blind for 20 years. When she isn’t writing she is an editor for Ink and Quill Press and the co-host for a blogtalk radio show on The World of Ink Network. Traci is an active member of the National Federation of the Blind, on the board of her local writer’s guild, and a speaker for various writing conferences and book fairs. She is a full time wife and mother of three boys, an avid reader, and loves living in a small town on the fringes of Nevada's Mojave Desert.
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How did you select your narrator?
The setting of this story includes a well-educated, traditional southern belle. Amanda Striplings voice was intense, articulate and had a hint of ‘southern’ without being ‘Hick’.

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?
Amanda and I didn’t cross over into each other’s expertise. I write, she brings the characters alive. The only tips I gave her were to be aware of pronunciation of words, to balance her speed and accuracy and to keep the characters sounding like their age.

Do you believe certain types of writing translate better into audiobook format? 
​The sound of a human voice telling a suspenseful, action, or thriller works, for me to help feel the suspense is alive.

I spent my Spring devouring the entire Detective Kay Hunter Series written by Rachel Ampheltt and narrated by Alison Campbell.  It was fantastic!  Alison needs to narrate my life.  I love her!
​~Lynn

​Loyalty has a price.

Kay Hunter has survived a vicious attack at the hands of one of the country's most evil serial killers.

Returning to work after an enforced absence to recover, she discovers she wasn't the only victim of that investigation.

DI Devon Sharp remains suspended from duties, and the team is in turmoil.

Determined to prove herself once more and clear his name, Kay undertakes to solve a cold case that links Sharp to his accuser.

But, as she gets closer to the truth, she realises her enquiries could do more harm than good.

Torn between protecting her mentor and finding out the truth, the consequences of Kay's enquiries will reach far beyond her new role…
Buy Links
Buy on RachelAmphlett.com

​5 Performance
5 Story
5 Overall


I devoured all 5 of the Detective Kay Hunter books. The series as a hole is fantastic in both print and audio. Each book is better than the previous one and that is saying something. I want more!
Rachel Amphlett is a master at weaving an intricate, diverse, crime drama. I feel like I needed a suspect board this time around. There were twists and turns and OMG moments with every turn of the page and a shocking ending. The MC, Kay Hunter, is phenomenal. When she sinks her teeth into a case she doesn’t give an inch.

I adore Alison Campbell as the narrator. She has done a smashing job with the series. Through Ali I am connected to Kay on a more personal level. She really makes the story come alive around me. 

I highly recommend this series for any crime novel fans out there. You do need to read the all the books in the series in order for the best experience. You won’t be disappointed

Before turning to writing, Rachel Amphlett played guitar in bands, worked as a TV and film extra, dabbled in radio as a presenter and freelance producer for the BBC, and worked in publishing as a sub-editor and editorial assistant.

She now wields a pen instead of a plectrum and writes crime fiction and spy novels, including the Dan Taylor espionage novels and the Detective Kay Hunter series.

Originally from the UK and currently based in Brisbane, Australia, Rachel cites her writing influences as Michael Connelly, Lee Child, and Robert Ludlum. She’s also a huge fan of Peter James, Val McDermid, Robert Crais, Stuart MacBride, and many more.

She’s a member of International Thriller Writers and the Crime Writers Association, with the Italian foreign rights for her debut novel, White Gold sold to Fanucci Editore's TIMECrime imprint, and the first four books in the Dan Taylor espionage series contracted to Germany’s Luzifer Verlag.
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This has been such a great series!  Be sure to check it out! ~ Lynn 

Author: N.E. Conneely
Narrators: Jeff Hays, Soundbooth Theater
Length: 7  hours 25 minutes
Publisher: N.E. Conneely⎮2018
Genre: Paranormal, Supernatural
Series: A Witch's Path, Book 4
Release date: Jan. 16, 2018

Michelle has been figuring out what her life is like now that the demon has been killed, and Sylvia and Varro are dead. Even the clans of witches trying to attract her to their way of life have backed off and given her a chance to grieve. Her relationship with Elron is stronger than ever, but there are things left unsaid.

On the way to her parents' wedding, the delicate calm she’d been living in is broken. Witches are out for her blood, her family is caught in the crossfire, and friendships are threatened. Work doesn’t let up either, and she partners up with Elron to deal with magic gone wild. Michelle finds that her problems are larger than one clan of witches, and is forced to choose between the people she holds dear and the way of life she loves.

This is the fourth book in a series, following A Witch's Trial. It is a standalone novel, however, your experience will be greatly enhanced if you've heard the previous books.
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5/5
​I have to say this installment is my favorite. First off, can poor Michelle just have a moment to breath and enjoy her new relationship with Elron? The answer is NO! A Witch's Concern is non stop action from page one. The drama. The Grandmother. The kidnapping. OH MY! I LOVED IT. The author has created quite a fun and intriguing series. 

There were two narrators; Jeff Hays and Laurie Catherine Winkel. Both did a phenomenal job bringing the story to life. The danger. The destruction. The violence. It all sprang from my speakers. I didn't want to get out the car, lol.

About the Author: N.E. Conneely
N.E. Conneely lives in northern Georgia with her dog and a mountain of books. They sweat through the summer and freeze through the winter, and life as they know it comes to an end when so much as a single snowflake falls out of the sky. For fun, N.E. plays with her dog, reads, knits, crochets, paints, and does tie-dyeing and origami. She makes a great pizza and is currently negotiating with her husband about raising sea monkeys and growing a vegetable garden.
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​About the Narrator: Jeff Hays
Jeff Hays has made a name for himself in the audio book world by creating immersive experiences out of his productions. His versatility and authenticity in voicing characters, expressive low-impact narration, and dedication to offering the highest quality audio possible has earned him a loyal following of listeners. Having been fascinated with sound since he can remember, Jeff takes his background of composing and producing music, and his continual consumption of the avalanche of fictional media we all experience in these modern times, and uses it to inform his style of story telling in the audiobook realm.

And now, having produced more than 80 audio books and perfecting his craft, using the namesake of his live streaming narration show, the Soundbooth Theater shingle has been hung. Soundbooth Theater is dedicated to applying Jeff's production methods to new audio books with other budding narrator talent, and expanding his scope from audio books, to voicing and producing animation.
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About the Narrator: Laurie Catherine Winkel
​Laurie got into voiceover by studying with the legendary dialect expert Paul Meier and hosting the teen program for a nonprofit for the blind, Kansas Audio Reader. She speaks French fluently and, before diving into audiobooks, lived and performed for some time in France. She's racking up some bizarre credits, playing a range of characters onscreen from Disney princesses to horror scream queens, and proving her audio versatility by narrating everything from cowboy romances to action-packed GameLit fantasy trolls. You can also catch her in a few VR video games. Her favorite is playing confident, power-hungry, whip-smart anti-heroines.

Like Jeff Hays, she hails from the Kansas City area but currently lives in Atlanta.
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Evil comes in many forms…
One by one, Laura Armstrong’s friends and adoptive family members are being murdered, and despite her unique healing powers, she can do nothing to stop it. The savage killer haunts her dreams, tormenting her with the promise that she is next.
Determined to find the killer, she follows her visions to the site of a crashed meteorite in her hometown. There, she meets Ben Fieldstone, who seeks answers about his parents’ death the night the meteorite struck. In a race to stop a madman, they unravel a frightening secret that binds them together.
But the killer’s desire to destroy Laura face-to-face leads to a showdown that puts Laura and Ben’s emotional relationship and Laura’s pure spirit to the test. With the killer closing in, Laura discovers her destiny is linked to his, and she has two choices—redeem him or kill him.

About the Author: Donna Galanti
Donna Galanti is the author of the paranormal suspense Element Trilogy (Imajin Books) and the children’s fantasy adventure Joshua and The Lightning Road series (Month9Books). Donna is a contributing editor for International Thriller Writers the Big Thrill magazine and blogs with other middle grade authors at Project Middle Grade Mayhem. She’s lived from England as a child, to Hawaii as a U.S. Navy photographer. Donna enjoys teaching at conferences on the writing craft and marketing and also presenting as a guest author at elementary and middle schools. Visit her at www.elementtrilogy.com and www.donnagalanti.com.
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About the Narrator: Chase Bradley
Chase was born and raised in a quiet town in upstate New York. He concentrated on musical pursuits through most of his younger years, excelling in anything that had to do with using his voice. He attended college in Potsdam, NY, where he studied Wilderness Leadership, Sociology and Vocal training at the Crane School of Music at SUNY Potsdam. Chase’s dream since he was a kid was to be a voice over artist and professional musician, but after college he decided to spread his wings and explore the world a bit first. He worked as a mountain guide in Alaska, leading Ice Climbing, Mountaineering, and Backpacking trips. He traveled all over North and South America for work and and pleasure, climbing and skiing everything that stood in his way. After meeting a beautiful woman (in Alaska of all places!) and falling in love, he settled down in Lake Tahoe California, where he currently resides with his wife and two children. Chase has finally returned to his roots and works as a full time voice over artist, and plays weekly shows with his band. Things have come full circle, and the dream has been fulfilled. Chase does commercial voice over work, but has found that his true passion is narrating audiobooks. He has narrated 14 audiobooks to date, with more to come! Chase is constantly looking for ways to improve his narration, and deliver the best possible performance for the authors and listeners.
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I am loving Audible from Amazon.  Being in the car 2 hours per day is a great opportunity for me to discover more fantabulous authors.  Check out my spotlight on Halfway Dead, Bk 1.

*** I received this audiobook as part of my participation in a blog tour with Audiobookworm Promotions. The tour is being sponsored by Terry Maggert. The gifting of this audiobook did not affect my opinion of it.

Audiobook Title: Halfway Dead
Author: Terry Maggert

Narrator: Erin Spencer
Publisher: Terry Maggert
Length: 7 hours and 15 minutes (unabridged)
Audio Release Date: August 07, 2015
Synopsis:

Carlie McEwan loves many things. She loves being a witch. She loves her town of Halfway, NY - a tourist destination nestled on the shores of an Adirondack lake. Carlie loves her enormous familiar, Gus, who is 25 pounds of judgmental Maine Coon cat, and she positively worships her grandmother, a witch of incredible power and wisdom. Carlie spends her days cooking at the finest - and only - real diner in town, and her life is a balance between magic and the mundane, just as she likes it.

When a blond stranger sits at the diner counter and calls her by name, that balance is gone. Major Pickford asks Carlie to lead him into the deepest shadows of the forest to find a mythical circle of chestnut trees, thought lost to forever to mankind. There are ghosts in the forest, and one of them cries out to Carlie across the years. Come find me.
Danger, like the shadowed pools of the forest, can run deep. The danger is real, but Carlie's magic is born of a pure spirit. With the help of Gus, and Gran, and a rugged cop who really does want to save the world, she'll fight to bring a ghost home, and deliver justice to a murderer who hides in the cool, mysterious green of a forest gone mad with magic.

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The Story
Halfway Dead was my introduction to Terry Maggert and while I found some holes in his story; overall it was a fun and exciting book. The story moved along at a fast pace and held my attention through out. I especially loved the cat. What witch's tale is complete without her familiar!

The Narrator
Erin Spencer did a fantastic job of narrating Halfway Dead. She really captured how I envisioned Carlie in my mind. All of the characters came alive with her voice. Erin's has fantastic tonal range and was distinct between genders and characters. The overall sound quality of the audio was perfect as well. I look forward to listening to other audio books narrated by Erin.

About the Author: Terry Maggert

Left-handed. Father of an apparent nudist. Husband to a half-Norwegian. Herder of cats and dogs. Lover of pie. I write books. I've had an unhealthy fascination with dragons since the age of-- well, for a while. Native Floridian. Current Tennessean. Location subject to change based on insurrection, upheaval, or availability of coffee. Nine books and counting, with no end in sight. You've been warned.

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About the Narrator: Erin Spencer

Erin loves audiobooks!  As an actress, they have allowed her to creatively stretch by playing all kinds of characters, all kinds of ages and all kinds of accents!  She voiced roles in the Audie award winning title, Illuminae and was also nominated for a Voice Arts Award in the romance category.  She has narrated over 100 titles and as an audiobook director has worked on at least 100 more.  She has worked for most of the major publishers and also enjoys working with indie writers who are some of the most talented writers out there!
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