Jacked Cat Jive by @Rhys_Ford @dreamspinners #BLOGTOUR

 It is hard to believe that we are at the third book in the Kai Gracen series. Black Dog Blues was one of the first full-length novels I’d written inside of an urban fantasy genre I’ve always wanted to explore. The best part about writing Kai Gracen is creating not just the personalities but also the world they inhabit and it’s been great to blend in the fantastical with the mundane.

In his third outing, Jacked Cat Jive, Kai is faced with unique challenge of realizing he really is not as human as he thought and that the Court and its inhabitants mean something to him other than a thorn in his side. And of course, there is always Ryder, the Sidhe Lord who gets under his skin in the best of ways. I’ve enjoyed writing the push and pull of their relationship but also the growth between them as characters. They started off at very different points of view and are slowly working towards an understanding while also fending off any challenges that come at them.

This time out, Kai is not only set to rescue a group of refugees from the Badlands beneath San Diego, he also has to come to grips with his growing friendship with Ryder and how the humans in his life are getting older, something he won’t experience himself for quite a long time.

So I hope that you join Kai and his next adventure and also enjoy this serialized story of Ryder and the trouble he gets into when he doesn’t listen to what Kai says.

Also, I invite you to enter the giveaway on each of the blogs during the tour and get a chance to win a $25 USD gift certificate from an e-tailer of your choice. Comment with your email to win!

You can purchase Jacked Cat Jive at:
DSP Publications: https://www.dsppublications.com/books/jacked-cat-jive-by-rhys-ford-489-b
Amazon: mybook.to/JackedCatJive
And other places books are sold.

Ryder’s Folly. Part Three

He was beautiful and deadly, so much like the dragons our kind revered. Perched precariously on a runaway bison probably wasn’t the best time to be awestruck by Kai Gracen but there was little I could do about my reactions to him. Even as angry as I was and how much I would love throttle him to death at that moment, I knew I never could.

Not just because I wouldn’t be able to bring myself to do it but also because Kai could easily skin me alive and debone my flesh with one of the many knives he had hidden about his body before I could launch an attack.

Much like the dragons, Kai was not one to poke at.

“How?” I shouted through rattling teeth. I was stupid enough to try to get a look at where the bison was taking me and nearly lost hold. The creature was moving too quickly and from what I could see, there appeared to be a very large chasm in my immediate future.

“Put your damn legs through the open window and slide in!” Kai barely gave me a glance, fighting to keep the purple car on the road. The asphalt was beginning to break up more and the vehicle rattled and shook, a jittering target Kai wanted me to jump into. “Hurry up! We’re running out of road!”

I’d always thought myself fairly in shape. I trained every day with Alexa and spent a good portion of my puberty learning about military strategies and combat skills but what Kai proposed was insane. My back was to the car and even if I was able to maneuver my legs around or under me, I was going to have to swing in and hope my core strength was good enough to hold my weight.

I wasn’t cut out for these kinds of things. I was a diplomat. A leader of my people. Not some hardscrabble monster bounty hunter with less sense than an ostrich — I knew what one of those was — and a death wish. Because if anyone ever had a death wish, it was definitely Kai and he seemed bound and determined to drag me along for the ride.

“Do it!” he shouted at me. “Or I’m going to be picking up pieces of you from here to the end of Pendle.”

The bison was definitely flagging and the lions were becoming larger, their powerful bodies seemingly filled with endless energy when I specifically recall Kai telling me they were sprinters mostly, not long-distance runners. I wish someone had told the lions that because by now, they should have fallen off their prey so I could of let go.

I did let go. Or at least unhooked my legs from the beast’s torso. Scrabbling for a very tight hold on its thick pelt, I lifted my aching limbs up, bringing my knees as close to my chest as I could then took a leap of faith and punched them back out as Kai brought the car as close to the animal as he could. I felt his hand grab the waistband of my jeans, yanking me towards him and the hard scrape of the rubber gasket along the window frame tore at my skin but I couldn’t seem to get my fingers to work and they cramped, refusing to let go of the bison. I’d been holding on too long, too hard and now they were locked into place, my knuckles torn raw by the roughness of its hairy shoulders.

Kai yanked hard, pulling me towards him and I was once again reminded how much stronger he was than me. He’d spent his life hunting and hauling back enormous predators, mostly the ainmhi dubh who preyed on the edges of civilization, arcane creatures more vicious and capricious than the lions running us down. Another vicious pull on my waistband and my fingers gave in to the pressure, pulling free of the bison’s pelt. I ached too much to do more than fold down into the seat and a second later, the car was spinning, driven into an about-face maneuver Kai could probably do with his eyes closed.

The car fought the road, bucking much like the monster I rode moments before as its tires sought some kind of purchase across the broken asphalt. The herd veered, tearing right and back up across the prairie, furry minnows leaping through a golden sea of waving grasses. Panting heavily, I watched them disappear into a dip, losing sight of the creature I’d clung to for so long. The lions gave chase but they were finally worn out, plunging into the grasses with little hope of catching up.

Next to me, Kai straightened the car and hurtled us back down the road we’d traveled on, taking us towards the city. He didn’t so much as look at me but I could feel his repressed anger rolling off of him like sheets of heat. Or, much like a dragon bathing its victims in fire.

“Kai —” I began but he shook his head, gritting his teeth with an expression I knew all too well. He was frustrated and about to blow.

“I don’t know what fucking possessed you to jump off of that cliff and onto the bison,” he grumbled at me, that rich throaty purr of his weaving in and out of his melodic, old world-tinted Singlish. “I told you to get into the car. What part of that didn’t you understand? If the herd hadn’t gotten to the road, there was no way in hell I would have been able to rescue you and you’d be elfin nuggets right now for those fucking lions.”

I only had one excuse but it was a good one. Clearing my throat, I said very carefully, “You said to get into the Nova. Actually you said to jump into the Nova. And I know that your mastery of Sidhe is sometimes tenuous but let me inform you that the word Nova? It sounds very much like our word for cow.”

Jacked Cat Jive
Stalker Kai Gracen knew his human upbringing would eventually clash with his elfin heritage, but not so soon. Between Ryder, a pain-in-his-neck Sidhe Lord coaxing him to join San Diego’s Southern Rise Court, and picking up bounties for SoCalGov, he has more than enough to deal with. With his loyalties divided between the humans who raised him and the Sidhe Lord he’s befriended and sworn to protect, Kai finds himself standing at a crossroads.

When a friend begs Kai to rescue a small group of elfin refugees fleeing the Dusk Court, he’s pulled into a dangerous mission with Ryder through San Diego’s understreets and the wilderness beyond. Things go from bad to downright treacherous when Kerrick, Ryder’s cousin, insists on joining them, staking a claim on Southern Rise and Kai.

Burdened by his painful past, Kai must stand with Ryder against Kerrick while facing down the very Court he fears and loathes. Dying while on a run is expected for a Stalker, but Kai wonders if embracing his elfin blood also means losing his heart, soul, and humanity along the way.

And if it’s even worth it.

Follow the rest of the Jacked Cat Jive Tour!

Rhys Ford is an award-winning author with several long-running LGBT+ mystery, thriller, paranormal, and urban fantasy series and is a two-time LAMBDA finalist with her Murder and Mayhem novels. She is also a 2017 Gold and Silver Medal winner in the Florida Authors and Publishers President’s Book Awards for her novels Ink and Shadows and Hanging the Stars. She is published by Dreamspinner Press and DSP Publications.

She’s also quite skeptical about bios without a dash of something personal and really, who doesn’t mention their cats, dog and cars in a bio? She shares the house with Harley, a grey tuxedo with a flower on her face, Badger, a disgruntled alley cat who isn’t sure living inside is a step up the social ladder as well as a ginger cairn terrorist named Gus. Rhys is also enslaved to the upkeep a 1979 Pontiac Firebird and enjoys murdering make-believe people.

Rhys can be found at the following locations:

Blog: www.rhysford.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/rhys.ford.author
Twitter: @Rhys_Ford
On Your Alexa device on the Alexa Skills at: https://www.amazon.com/Witlingo-Rhys-Ford-Casting/dp/B07N7MJ7C8/

Audiobook Book Blog Tour #Venus Shining @JenniferAlsever @AnAudiobookworm

Author: Jennifer Alsever

Narrator: Moira Todd

Series: Trinity Forest Series, Book 1-2

Publisher: Sawatch Publishing

Released: Sep. 7, 2017; TBD

Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal

"From across the fire, a grin spread over her face, combining delight and pure, raw power.

I could not deny the power of the chanting, the swirling red hair, my painting prophecy and the - holy crap - electric bubble around us.

This was real. Her power was real."

Triumphant at last, Ember has fought her way back from the evil witch's curse and reclaimed her identity, her sense of self. Now she must stop Xintra from hurting the boy she loves, even as she uncovers the truth behind her mother's dark, twisted past.

Rejoicing in her power over the human race, Xintra is closer than ever to achieving her father's dream - a dream she sacrificed her own life to realize. But when key members of her team defy her, she must scramble to enact her plan before obedience gives way to anarchy.

Breaking free from the chains that once bound her to a life of wickedness, Zoe must face the past she once sought to escape in order to save the futures of those she doomed. Will she make amends with the dead in time to save the living?

https://youtu.be/D3dYXYgYwSQ

A teenager still lives inside author Jennifer Alsever. She spent two decades as a professional journalist, contributing to such publications as Fortune Magazine, the New York Times, Inc Magazine and the Wall Street Journal, before letting her imagination run wild in 2016. The result is Ember's story told in the three-book Trinity Forest Series, her first published fiction work.

When not absorbed in writing, Alsever enjoys a good hike, doing some yoga, hanging with her boys, some moguls on skis, a rigorous mountain bike ride or indulging in the simple pleasures of life. Her favorites: untouched snow, frozen chocolate chips, savasina on a yoga mat and yes, bowls of pan fried brussels sprouts. Jennifer is working on her upcoming novel, Psychic Monkeys, to be released in 2019.

Website⎮Twitter⎮Facebook⎮Instagram

A teenager still lives inside author Jennifer Alsever. She spent two decades as a professional journalist, contributing to such publications as Fortune Magazine, the New York Times, Inc Magazine and the Wall Street Journal, before letting her imagination run wild in 2016. The result is Ember's story told in the three-book Trinity Forest Series, her first published fiction work.

When not absorbed in writing, Alsever enjoys a good hike, doing some yoga, hanging with her boys, some moguls on skis, a rigorous mountain bike ride or indulging in the simple pleasures of life. Her favorites: untouched snow, frozen chocolate chips, savasina on a yoga mat and yes, bowls of pan fried brussels sprouts. Jennifer is working on her upcoming novel, Psychic Monkeys, to be released in 2019.

Website⎮Twitter⎮Facebook⎮Instagram

Oh Jennifer Alsever - you tortured the souls of Ember, Tre, and all your listeners throughout your Trinity Forest series (in a good way - well us, not them so much  They were literally tortured and that was bad).  Thank you for giving them and us the ending we all deserved.  Probably not the ending we wanted necessarily but certainly one that satisfied and left us with a sense of full circle and after the previous books of more-questions-than-answers endings, this was a very good thing.

Picking up right where Oshun Rising left off, Venus Shining again pulls multiple point of views, allowing the listener/reader to experience the story at different levels.  Having the added storyline of Zoe/Nisha and her awakening and journey to sabotage the evil doings of Zintra  was fabulous.  The madness of Zintra juxtaposed against the passionate search of Ember for her love Tre made for a great backdrop but the action packed mayhem of the impending apocalypse was what drove the story for me.  Assassins, world wide weather events, a Scooby gang banding together to save the day - how fun is that?  The writing remains tightly woven with strong characters, great dialogue and clever plot twists. 

As for the audio narration, Moira Todd continues to do an outstanding job narrating. Her range of characters keeps the story fresh and exciting as each chapter changes perspective. Once again, Ms. Todd is the key to making this audiobook one that a reader cannot stop listening to!

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

By Author Jennifer Alsever

Q&A with Author JENNIFER ALSEVER

• Tell us about the process of turning your book into an audiobook.
  
  • As an avid audiobook fan, I knew when I finished my trilogy that I wanted my books to be an audiobook. But finding the right voice was going to be key. I went into ACX, Audible’s back-end system for authors, and I listened to dozens of sample narrators until I found Moira Todd, an actress in Oregon. I wrote her an email and said, ‘You are Ember!’ She had a gorgeous voice, youthful with the perfect amount of snark and authenticity plus, I didn’t know it at the time, but she could sing. Working with Moira has been a dream, as she sent me samples along the way, and I ate the chapters up as we went.
• Was a possible audiobook recording something you were conscious of while writing?
  
  • No. While I was writing, I was conscious only of the voice on the page. I was fully engrossed in the logistics of the writing and pacing and ensuring readers could see what I saw in my mind’s eye.
• How did you select your narrator?
  
  • I listened to Moira’s sample on ACX, the backend of Audible, and loved her voice. She had a youthful voice that exhibited the kind of intellect, angst, snark, strength and sweetness of my main character Ember. When I heard her audition, I emailed her saying “You are Ember!”
• How closely did you work with your narrator before and during the recording process?
  
  • Moira gave me periodic updates on her editing and chapters as she finished them. We collaborated, but really, Moira just nailed it with no revision requests on my part.
• Did you give them any pronunciation tips or special insight into the characters?
  
  • I didn’t give her insight into characters-- nothing more than what was on the page. I gave her some pronunciation tips when asked, places and names and some weird Egyptian words.
• Were there any real life inspirations behind your writing?
  
  • I drew on my experiences walking around the real-life town of Leadville and the scenery of the Colorado mountains where I live, plus took nuggets of scenery from my past visits to Utah, California and L.A. I also peppered in small bits and pieces of real stories from people gathered and heard over the years. To get into the teen head, I invited a group of seniors at a local high school for pizza when I was writing the book, and I listened to them talk. I got a lot of good perspective and a few nuggets of stories from them. They were so generous with their stories and time. I wouldn’t have been able to do it without them. The general plot, too, is taken from real-life theories from crazy websites about the Annunaki, energy vortexes and Egyptian mysticism. I did a lot of research and drew on interviews with people who had experienced what Ember did-- mainly a friend who lost her parents as a teen.
• How do you manage to avoid burn-out? What do you do to maintain your enthusiasm for writing?
  
  • When I get stuck, I give myself time and space to do something else. I hike, read, ski, watch smart TV shows or I write other things. I don’t feel like I honestly can get burned from writing. I was obsessed with my story and it just flowed out of my fingers. It’s my most favorite thing, outside of my family and friends.
• Are you an audiobook listener? What about the audiobook format appeals to you?
  
  • I am an audiobook listener for sure. As a slow reader, I love listening to a book while I get other things done, whether it’s chores around the house, a long drive or a hike. I am very picky about the narrator of the books I consume, and the voice can make it or break it for me. I’d listened to enough YA books that had similar voices or tones I liked, and I knew Moira would be perfect for my series. She had a voice I personally could enjoy hearing for hours.
• Is there a particular part of this story that you feel is more resonating in the audiobook performance than in the book format?
  
  • Ember is a singer-song writer, and so that was a challenge for me to write lyrics to songs. Some of the lyrics had a loose tune in my head but not really. It was so fun to hear Moira take the lyrics, make a song and then sing it in the audio recording. She has a beautiful singing voice.
• What do you say to those who view listening to audiobooks as “cheating” or as inferior to “real reading”?
  
  • I say a story is a story, heard or read. People say they don’t have time to read. So if listening is an easier way to dive into a imaginary story without sitting in front a screen, then go for it.
• In your opinion, what are the pros and cons of writing a stand-alone novel vs. writing a series?
  
  • Pros of a series: You have more time to develop a storyline and a character, and you can fall more deeply into that world. People can binge your books just like they can binge watch TV.
  • Pros of standalone: You’re done with one and can dig into another entirely new idea next.
  • Cons of a series: Some people hate series and so maybe they read one book and may grumble about having to read another two to find out all the answers. It’s harder to market the other books in the series because they’re a continuation of the story so you end up having to tout your first book over and over, when you really might be proud of the writing or the story in the second and third too.
  • Cons of standalone: Sometimes, it can be hard to get everything you want in the book and it feels rushed. As a reader and an author, you’re sad to leave those characters behind and close the book to move on to the next idea.
• Have any of your characters ever appeared in your dreams?
  
  • The genesis of my book came from a dream. I was running through a forest, but I wasn’t myself. I was someone else. I came to a gate, went inside and met three of my characters, Tre, Lilly and Zoe, and after spending time there, they whispered how I could never go home, despite the world spinning forward on the outside.
  • When I woke up, I told my son about the dream because it was so vivid and striking to me, and he told me to turn it into a novel. So I did.

Dec. 11th:

Chapter Break

Dec. 12th:

Jazzy Book Reviews

Dec. 13th:

Turning Another Page

Dec. 14th:

What Is That Book About

Dec. 15th:

T's Stuff

Dec. 16th:

Lilly's Book World

Dec. 17th:

The Book Addict's Reviews

Guilty Indulgence Bookclub

➜Sign up as a host here

Audiobook blog tour #Deadly Shadow #Ultimate Indulgence @kimcresswell @RobinSiegerman @AnAudiobookworm

Author: Kim Cresswell

Narrator: Robin Siegerman

Length: 6 hours and 17 minutes

Series: The Assassin Chronicles, Book 1

Publisher: Kim Cresswell

Released: Aug. 7, 2018

Genre: Thriller; Paranormal

The Assassin Chronicles TV series is in development with Council Tree Productions.

Two recent murders. Two serial killers. A conspiracy that reaches beyond the physical world.

Consumed with grief over the tragic death of her husband, FBI agent Victory McClane is obsessed with finding Ohio’s serial killer, “The Wrapper”.

When another young woman turns up dead and the victim is linked to Derrick Lynn, son of the Secretary of Defense, Victory finds Derrick has all the right answers and is a little too helpful.

Derrick has a secret: He’s a government assassin who uses his unusual paranormal skills to eliminate targets. Determined to keep his own secrets buried, he offers to help find The Wrapper.

But can Victory trust him?

As the body count rises, Victory must cross a dangerous line—into a world of government cover-ups, murder, and betrayal—a decision that will test her limits. And everything she believes in.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yBvRCNQMNAw&t=90s

Kim Cresswell resides in Ontario, Canada and is the bestselling and award-winning author of the action-packed WHITNEY STEEL series. Kim recently signed a 3-book German translation deal with LUZIFER Verlag for the first three books in the series: Reflection, Retribution and Resurrect. The popular series will be published in German beginning in 2018/2019.

Her romantic thriller, Reflection (A Whitney Steel Novel - Book One), has won numerous awards: RomCon®'s 2014 Readers' Crown Finalist (Romantic Suspense), InD'tale Magazine 2014 Rone Award Finalist (Suspense/Thriller), UP Authors Fiction Challenge Winner (2013), Silicon Valley's Romance Writers of America (RWA) "Gotcha!" Romantic Suspense Winner (2004), Honourable Mention in Calgary's (RWA) The Writer's Voice Contest (2006).

Lethal Jouney won RomCon®'s 2014 Readers' Crown (Thriller) and was a finalist in From the Heart Romance Writers (FTHRW) Golden Gate Contest.

The Assassin Chronicles TV series is in development with Council Tree Productions, a feature film and TV production company located in Los Angeles, California. The TV series: THE ASSASSIN CHRONICLES is based on Kim's upcoming 4-book paranormal/supernatural suspense thriller series: Deadly Shadow (published May 2018), Invisible Truth, Assassin's Prophecy, and Vision of Fire.

Website⎮Twitter⎮Facebook⎮Goodreads⎮Amazon

Robin Siegerman was trained as an actor by the acclaimed William Esper in New York, vocally trained by Albert Hague, a Tony award-winning, Broadway composer, and trained in speech and dialects by dialect coach to the stars, Timothy Monich.

Robin has a wide range of voices, accents, dialects and characters to give voice work color. Noteably, in the spring of 2018, she was nominated for the narration of the WWII documentary Harry's Story in the Best International Performance category at the One Voice Awards in England.

Robin also has extensive on-camera experience as a spokes-person for a series of corporate training videos; a decor expert on various TV and radio broadcasts; a frequently requested keynote speaker at home and consumer trade shows, libraries and private industry events; has hosted her own internet radio show; wrote and voiced a daily home renovation information series for radio; and wrote and voiced a regular feature on green living radio.

Currently Robin writes & produce promo videos with VO for small to medium size businesses, along with narrating audiobooks from her broadcast-quality home studio.

Website⎮Twitter⎮Facebook

Shut the front door, people!  This is honestly one of the best audiobooks I have listened to in eons.  Deadly Shadow, by Kim Cresswell, has a little bit of everything going for it:  strong, kick-ass heroine, great secondary characters, cleverly crafted plot line and seriously edge-of-your-seat action and suspense.  I am not one of those reviewers who gives away plot bunnies in my reviews - you have the basic story line in the book description to decide if it's your cup of tea or not.  My job is to tell you to rush out and buy something if it's worth it.  This is one of those times.

Victory McClane is the poster child for "life goals" - not that her life is glamorous or even particularly happy.  She is an FBI investigator on the hunt for 2 serial killers, actively mourning the loss of her husband who was killed in a bank robbery the previous year and somehow, she manages to hold it all together, turn 45 and kick some major butt.  Derrick Lynn gets thrown in the mix as a potential romantic interest but with some serious dark twists.  I really can't rave enough about the writing of this novel - what isn't there to love about a crime thriller/paranormal suspense story, with a little paranormal twist, 2 serial killers, and characters that are so real, so well crafted that I sat in my driveway with melting ice cream because the story was too intense to turn off at that point?!

Robin Siegerman does an amazing job of narrating this story.  She does great justice to incredible writing by breathing life and inflection into each of the characters.  She keeps the pace, action and suspense of the book moving just as it should.  There were no glaring mispronounciations (my biggest pet peeve, throws me out of the story every time) and I seriously extended every trip just to keep listening to Robin reading this intense story.  Anyone who loves mysteries, crime dramas, thrillers, and enjoys a dash of paranormal will adore Deadly Shadow.  I seriously cant wait for the rest of the series to hear the next installments in Victory and Derrick's wicked game. Run, don't walk, to the nearest internet connected device to download this book/audiobook.  Seriously.

Deadly Shadow gets five (5) chocolate dipped strawberries and an Ultimate Indulgence award.

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

By Author Kim Cresswell

• FBI Agent Victory McClane played by Mireille Enos
• Government Assassin Derrick Lynn played by Gino Anthony Pesi
• President Burke played by Ray Liotta
• Ryan Slater (Victory’s partner) played by - Chad Michael Murray
• Jeremy Elder played by Jason Ritter

Q&A with Narrator Robin Siegman

• How did you wind up narrating audiobooks? Was it always your goal or was it something you stumbled into by chance?
  
  • I’ve been performing for most of my life and trained as an actor in NYC. Life took me in many different directions, but I ended up in voice acting a few years ago when I was asked to perform in a radio documentary and play a well-known and beloved children’s book character on a national radio broadcast. Then I was hooked on voice acting! I moved into audio books because it is the ideal medium for an actor: I can do it from home in my broadcast-quality recording studio and I get to play all the parts!
• A lot of narrators seem to have a background in theatre. Is that something you think is essential to a successful narration career?
  
  • I don’t think one has to have a specific theatre background, but an audiobook narrator must have had acting training. Really, it should be called an audiobook performer. Because that’s what happens when we narrate. We are telling the story, but we are acting out all the parts, and even the narrator is a character, so all the acting principles of preparing and analyzing a script, preparing characters, story arc, emotional build and peak apply.
• What type of training have you undergone?
  
  • I was so lucky to study acting with William Esper in NYC. Some of his notable alumni are Amy Shumer, Kathy Bates, Mary Steenburgen, Jeff Goldblum, John Malkovich and others. I studied voice with Albert Hague, a Tony award-winning Broadway composer (who also wrote the music for the Classic animated film The Grinch Who Stole Christmas), and speech with Timothy Monich, who is the go-to dialect coach of Hollywood Stars.
• Are you an audiobook listener? What about the audiobook format appeals to you?
  
  • I LOVE listening to audiobooks! Not only do I love it as a pass time, but it is essential for every narrator to listen to them on a regular basis. It’s important to hear what some of the best narrators in the business are doing and listen and learn from their techniques. I do quite a bit of driving, so I love to listen while I drive or do other chores that are time consuming, like gardening.
• What are your favorite and least favorite parts of narrating an audiobook?
  
  • My favorite part is the actual narration. But there are a lot of other responsibilities a narrator has that a listener doesn’t usually know about: proofing the recording, editing and correcting mistakes, and mastering, which is the technical process to make the sound consistent and free of extraneous noises. All of that is very painstaking and not as much fun for me as narrating. One finished hour of recording can take up to 8-10 hours to produce. It’s not as easy as I hope we make it sound!
• Is there a particular genre you feel unsuited for? Have you ever declined a project because you didn’t think you were right for it?
  
  • I have turned down a memoir and there are very few of them that I would consider. The ease with which anyone can self-publish a book means that sometimes, those that write their own memoirs, really are not that compelling to me, so I wouldn’t be able to do it justice. I have to love the story to narrate it effectively.
• What about this title compelled you to audition as narrator?
  
  • The story of Deadly Shadow sounded exciting and urgent, and it is! Both of those qualities in a book make it stimulating for me to narrate. And at the end of the day, I want to be proud of the book I am associated with.
• How closely do you prefer to work with authors?
  
  • I view the relationship between author and narrator as a collaboration. The author writes the story and I, as the narrator interprets that story and brings another dimension and richness to the story and characters with my voice and emotions. Sometimes in a book there are people’s names, place names or historical/geographical references that I’m not familiar with, so I have to do some research before I start narrating. In some cases, I can’t find what I’m looking for, so I have to send a list to the author to get their help. Also, I find it helpful if the author lets me know if there is something specific they have in mind for the interpretation of a character, so I can weave that in to the performance. I want to fulfill their vision and intent, but ultimately, I bring my own artistic vision to complete the circle.
• How does audiobook narration differ from other types of voiceover work you've done?
  
  • Audiobook narration is far more physically demanding than most other types of voiceover work because you sit alone in a recording booth, which is a very confined space, and read out loud for many hours every single day. It’s hard on the vocal chords and on the body, because although I’m sitting (some narrators stand, which would be very tiring), I have to be physically expressive to convey the emotions of the character, without making any sound whatsoever other than speaking, so the movements have to be extremely controlled. A narrator becomes hyper aware of their own stomach grumbles, mouth noise, clothing noise and chair shuffles or squeaks, which must not intrude into the recording. It’s very tiring.
• Do you read reviews for your audiobooks?
  
  • Yes I do. Fortunately, I haven’t had many negative reviews, but they can be very instructive, if they are constructive and not destructive. A listener who is just mean, doesn’t help me at all, and of course it’s hurtful. I think a lot of people who leave a negative review never realize there is a real person with feelings on the other side of the screen. I’d like to think that if they were telling me what they thought to my face, they would be honest, but diplomatic. We seem to have lost the art of diplomacy in typing. And of course it’s wonderful to know when a listener has really enjoyed the story and the narration. It helps me with future books to know what connects with listeners and what doesn’t.

Prize: The Whitney Steel Trilogy On Audiobook

Deadly Shadow Giveaway: The Whitney Steel Trilogy Audiobooks




Nov. 13th:

Dab of Darkness Book Reviews

The Book Junkie Reads . . .

Nov. 14th:

In Patti's Imagination

Nov. 15th:

Lilly's Book World

Nov. 16th:

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Audiobook blog tour #Fever Rising @thespirit_riley @AnAudiobookworm

Author: K.M. Riley

Narrator: Audra Cook

Length: 6 hours and 5 minutes

Publisher: Trifecta Publishing House

Released: Sep. 14, 2018

Genre: Science Fiction; Dystopian

“I don't save, I kill. I don't build, I break. I don't run, I chase. And I won't rest until a new society is built on the System's ashes.” (Cassidy Havok)

Kaden Valens' world is kill or be killed. Such is the life of a Challenger, the property of a Citizen. Fight or die. When Kaden is ordered to face his sole family member, his sister, Nix, he chooses a different battle - one against the Federacy that owns him.

Rebel Cassidy Havok is the Federacy's worst nightmare. Her only goal is to bring down the government, doing whatever it takes to eradicate the slave-based society. When Kaden defies the Federacy publicly, she hopes to make an ally out of him, turning the tide in the resistance's favor.

Cassidy helps Kaden escape the clutches of the Citizenry, and they flee to the Wilds, the world outside the Federacy's reach. There they plan for the fight of a lifetime. Can they take on a nation, or is their cause a lost one?

K.M. Riley is not only a lover of stories, but she's a game designer, artist, and fan of all things imaginative. If she's not writing, she's daydreaming or doodling about more worlds and characters that will make great tales. With a background in Creative Writing, she's always busy creating new adventures, or taking part in them.

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K. M. Riley delivers an interesting new take on the future Dystopian world, one where Oligarchs rule and slave fights are a mass form of entertainment and financial gains for the owners. That said, Dystopian world building can be tedious while the author is trying to craft the rules, the history and provide enough character development and story line to keep things moving forward. Ms. Riley does a decent job once the ball gets rolling.

The characters of Kaden, Cassidy and Nix are well done. Kaden remains a steadfast hero throughout the story and Cassidy is his source of intrigue and inspiration as she shifts from foe to ally and back. What this novel does well is delivers action and adventure. The story is well paced and the characters, for the most part, are developed enough for the reader to experience joy and sorrow with them throughout the intensely crafted storyline. There are moments where the plot feels muddy - whether this is a product of underwriting or over-editing is hard to tell when the vehicle is an audiobook. I love the high tech meets old world elements of Fever Rising. The cast system trope is regularly used in the YA and Dystopian genre so that is pretty typical but I thought the sub-sects were clever and I loved the Wilds, the Casteless people and the missions they undertook to rescue Wardens and others with gifts to build Cassidy's army. I also loved that the siblings, Kaden and Nix, had to come to terms with each other as adults and rebels, working together to help save their people when the causal fallout of their defection resulted in the Sirdars and the Prime destroying entire sectors as a message.

The narration was truly my least favorite part. At first it was so stilted I thought I had perhaps altered the speed on my app. There was very little inflection, character changes or even modulation for story pacing. It did get better about midway through the story. It was almost as if a different voice actor took over. I have heard Audra Cook read before and think she is quite good overall. This one just falls short for me.

Overall I give Fever Rising four (4) Chocolate-Dipped Strawberries. I received this audiobook as part of my participation in a blog tour with Audiobookworm Promotions. The tour is being sponsored by K.M. Riley. The gifting of this audiobook did not affect my opinion of it.

Q&A with Author K.M. Riley

• Was a possible audiobook recording something you were conscious of while writing?
  
  • To be honest, no. When I’m writing a book I focus on the story itself, having fun with what I’m envisioning. Characters are my favorite part to shape. Can they compel a reader to the world, the plot, to keep reading at all?

• How did you select your narrator?
  
  • I had the auditioning narrators read one of the most compelling scenes from the book. To me, if they could capture that moment, that intensity between the characters, they could nail the rest of the narration.

• 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?
  
  • For the most part, I trusted my narrator to run with the story after a brief breakdown of pronunciation and descriptions. What mattered most to me was her portrayal of the characters. I wanted them to not only sound different, but they needed to feel as impassioned as the words they’re speaking aloud to the listener.

• How do you manage to avoid burn-out? What do you do to maintain your enthusiasm for writing?
  
  • Burnout is common everywhere. I work in video games, so I recognize when to stop and take a break. It’s the same with writing. Sometimes I’ll read a new series, draw a character I’m thinking of, or play excessive amounts of D&D. I let my imagination stay alive until get inspired again, keeping that enthusiasm alive in other forms.

• Are you an audiobook listener? What about the audiobook format appeals to you?
  
  • Of course I’m a listener, that’s the best part about my commute. Audiobooks make it easy to do other things while listening to a story. Exercising, long drives, you name it. Whenever I can’t hold a book in my hands but crave a tale, that’s what they are there for.

• What do you say to those who view listening to audiobooks as “cheating” or as inferior to “real reading”?
  
  • Nonsense. Some avid “readers” have actual impairments. Audiobooks are a fantastic way to help those with disabilities, sharing a story regardless of obstacles. For those without impairments, it’s just another way to cram more books in. Either way, getting through a book is an achievement to be praised, not condemned based on method.

• In your opinion, what are the pros and cons of writing a stand-alone novel vs. writing a series?
  
  • Having done both, there’s something freeing about a stand-alone. For me, I had a single vision in mind, and all I wanted was to get that across, but not drag it out per se. Having a series means considering aspects beyond your first hook, a story that needs unfolding over more hurdles, thicker plots or complex character development. There’s no right or wrong, good or bad, it’s just a matter of what the author wants to write.

• Have any of your characters ever appeared in your dreams?
  
  • All the time. They reenact scenes with more complexity than I could have remembered to write down when I woke up. Sometimes, and without giving too much away, some of the characters have made it a point to romance since there was only alluding in the book.

• What’s next for you?
  
  • Currently, I’m working on a narrative project at Hangar 13 that I’m incredibly excited about. Unfortunately, I can’t talk about it. Hopefully one day it’s something I can share. That said, I’m not done writing books; the next one is just beginning to take root in my imagination.

Author K.M. Riley's Dream Cast for Fever Rising

• Cassidy Havok - Chloe Bennet
• Kaden Valens - Chris Evans
• Nixandra Valens - Daisy Ridley
• Hunter Cath - Javier Bardem
• Liam Mercer - Tahj Mowry
• Sly Simmonds - Jeff Bridges

Prize: $50 Amazon Gift Card

Fever Rising Giveaway: $50 Amazon Gift Card




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Nov. 14th:

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Nov. 15th:

Lilly's Book World

Nov. 16th:

Guilty Indulgence Bookclub

Nov. 17th:

Book Addict

T's Stuff

Nov. 18th:

Jazzy Book Reviews

Nov. 19th:

Lomeraniel

The Book Addict's Reviews

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