Guilty Indulgence

Wednesday, May 22, 2019

The Viola Roberts Cozy Mystery Series audiobook tour, Book 2, #The Stiff in the Study @Shea_MacLeod, @YvetteKeller @AnAudioBookworm

Author: Shéa MacLeod

Narrator: Yvette Keller

Length: 4 hours 20 minutes

Series: The Viola Roberts Cozy Mysteries, Book 2

Publisher: Shéa MacLeod

Release date: May 17, 2017

Genre: Cozy Mystery

Viola Roberts is at it again! The sleepy seaside town of Astoria, Oregon is the last place you'd expect to find a dead body. That is until the director of the local museum turns up dead in the study and Viola's friend, Portia, is accused of the crime. Viola ignores her looming deadline and bout of writer's block and sets out with her best friend, Cheryl, to solve the murder. From starting riots at local dive bars to breaking into crime scenes, Viola will stop at nothing to prove Portia innocent even if it means putting herself in the cross-hairs of the killer.

Viola Roberts cozy mysteries:

The Corpse in the Cabana

The Stiff in the Study

The Poison in the Pudding

The Body in the Bathtub

The Venom in the Valentine

The Remains in the Rectory

The Death in the Drink

Shéa MacLeod writes urban fantasy post-apocalyptic sci-fi paranormal romances with a twist of steampunk. Mostly because she can’t make up her mind which genre she likes best so she decided to write them all.

After six years living in an Edwardian town house in London just a stone’s throw from the local cemetery, Shéa headed back to her hometown of Portland, Oregon. She plans to live out her days eating mushroom pizza, drinking too many caramel lattes, exploring exotic locales, and avoiding spiders.

Shéa is the author of the Viola Roberts Cozy Mysteries and the bestselling Lady Rample Mysteries.

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Yvette Keller’s first job as a narrator was reading aloud to keep her little brother out of trouble. Her favorite party trick is reading words upside down. Little kids need to see the pictures. Yvette lives in her beloved home town of Santa Barbara, using a lifetime of vocal stamina in her home studio. She produces technical VO industrials for Mesa Steps Consulting clients in addition to audiobooks. A lifetime of reading and speaking has proven one thing: Yvette loves stories. She is thrilled to be making books accessible and engaging through her narration work.

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The best part of series are getting to revisit the cast of characters that you grew to love in the first installment. Even better, in this book two, Shea McLeod takes the reader to Viola Robert's home town of Astoria, Oregon to once again....solve another murder case.

The Stiff in the Study is a cozy mystery set around a murder that takes place in the historical society building of her hometown and, coincidentally, of the employer of one of Viola's closest friends. As the first person to stumble across his body, Portia automatically becomes de facto person of interest number one and her finger prints on the murder weapon land her in jail accused of the crime. But there are two things readers now know about Viola - one, she is extremely loyal and will not let her friend suffer one extra day in jail for an undeserved charge and two, she always knows better than the police when it comes to sleuthing out the clues. The latter of the two lands her in repeated hot water scenarios and puts some tension on her fledgling relationship with her author beau.

The writing of this mystery is excellent. The dialogue is full of sass and snark and the relationships between the female friends and between Viola and the sexy detective is delightful. This translates to an easily readable story and Yvette Keller does an outstanding job of bringing all the characters to life. Where I had struggled initially in the first book, there are no lags in pace or pitch and the entire performance is flawless and really quite enjoyable. For cozy mystery fans, this is a definite must for your To-Be-Read pile!
I give The Stiff in the Study a 4 Chocolate Dipped Strawberry rating - with a glass of prosecco to be enjoyed with friends! I received this audiobook as part of my participation in a blog tour with Audiobookworm Promotions. The tour is being sponsored by Yvette Keller. The gifting of this audiobook did not affect my opinion of it.

Q&A with Yvette Keller, Narrator of The Viola Roberts Cozy Mysteries

When did you know you wanted to be an audiobook narrator?
- I always wanted to get paid to read books. But how was always the question. Who pays other people to just read books? I “made do” with a career teaching people stuff from books, making technical training videos, and speaking in front of audiences. At some point, enough people said to me, “Hey, why don’t you narrate audiobooks?” that I started believing it might be possible.
How did you wind up narrating audiobooks? Was it always your goal or was it something you stumbled into by chance?
- I’d been asked several times whether I was an actor or a voice over pro and I always said, “No, I’m just a corporate trainer.” But (secretly) I took some classes and researched low-cost options for my self-published author friends. When I read the Viola Roberts Cozy Mysteries, I contacted Shea immediately: “I feel like you wrote these books FOR ME. Can I (pleasepleaseplease) narrate them?” Narrating satisfies two dreams: Getting paid to read books AND supporting fantastic indie authors!
Are you an audiobook listener? What about the audiobook format appeals to you?
- Honestly, I started out listening to audiobooks that I suspected I wouldn’t like. By that I mean books that I worried would not hold my interest. I figured that listening to them while I drove, washed dishes, or pulled weeds meant I wasn’t “wasting” my time. I’ve since realized that only certain books work for me as audiobooks: Literary books with rich language and deep themes frustrate me as audiobooks - I want to read the words myself. On the other hand, action adventure novels, mysteries, and autobiographies (read by author is my favorite) are wonderful companions to have pouring in through my ears. Now I’m addicted and convinced that audiobooks make chores go faster.
What are your favorite and least favorite parts of narrating an audiobook?
- My favorite part is knowing I’m contributing to accessibility: By making the story come to life in an audio format, someone who can’t read the book can listen to it instead. Whether that is someone with a disability or just someone who doesn’t have the time to read, I’m expanding the reach of fun stories. My least favorite part is the “producer” role. Editing, mastering, and to some extent marketing the books all take time away from reading another book and bringing more books to the audience.
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?
- My primary training is not as an actor, so I’m unsuited for anything that I personally would never read. That means if you have a blood-soaked thriller, or a gory true-crime book, or a horror novel, sorry, but I’m not available.
How closely do you prefer to work with authors?
- As close as possible! An an independent producer, I’m really providing a service to the author. I want them to be ecstatic when they hear their book! That means I take advantage of whatever time they offer me to get background on characters, making sure I pronounce things correctly.
Do you read reviews for your audiobooks?
- Yes! I love interacting with reviewers and fans, especially through Goodreads. This is super-natural to me because I was an instructor and facilitator for so many years. Back then the “learner” or “client” really mattered to me; I wanted to be a great trainer or facilitator so they met their goals. Now, I want to be an amazing narrator so that listeners are entertained. If they provide feedback about what they like (or hate) about my performance, I appreciate that they took the time and effort to share that with me. I’m super grateful!
If so, which ones stand out to you most, positive or negative?
- All reviews are one data point; one lister’s feedback. What stands out is when a group of reviewers will leave the same feedback. For example, I gather fans really like my pace and the fact that I keep the voices consistent across all the books. Sadly, negative reviews are rarely constructive. “I didn’t like it,” or “I don’t recommend this,” isn’t helpful to me. Negative ones *might* stand out if they included why something hit them wrong way, but without that, the review isn’t actionable - I can’t learn from it, so I move on.
Bonus question: Any funny anecdotes from inside the recording studio?
- I’ve been told since Kindergarten that I am an “outstanding” reader. By then I was reading Cajun Night Before Christmas in a Creole dialect, and mimicking the Southern accents of my friend’s mom. I was a kid-actor and participated in theater all through school. In college, I was taking an intensive, 6-week class where we only read Moby Dick. One of the best compliments that stuck with me came from the Dean of American Studies, who said one day after class, “You are one of the few truly great readers of Moby Dick.”

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RATING XX Chocolate-Dipped Strawberries This book was given to us by the author.

ONLY KEEP THIS IF REVIEWING AUDIOBOOK...

Wednesday, May 15, 2019

The Viola Roberts Cozy Mystery Series audiobook tour, Book 1, #The Corpse in the Cabana @Shea_MacLeod, @YvetteKeller @AnAudioBookworm

Author: Shéa MacLeod

Narrator: Yvette Keller

Length: 4 hours 47 minutes

Series: The Viola Roberts Cozy Mysteries, Book 1

Publisher: Shéa MacLeod

Release date: Aug. 29, 2016

Genre: Cozy Mystery

Sassy, snarky Viola Roberts quit her boring accountant job to pursue her dream of writing novels, even if it meant eating ramen noodles every day. Now that her career has taken off, she's headed to a writers' conference at an exotic Florida resort complete with white-sand beaches and swaying palm trees, where she plans to lounge in the shade drinking frosty beverages with little umbrellas. And, of course, no sojourn to tropical climes would be complete without her boozy, wise-cracking best friend, Cheryl.

When Viola discovers the diva of the author world dead (as a doornail) of unnatural causes, the police immediately consider Viola their prime suspect. But when the head detective turns a gimlet eye on Viola's best friend, the author has had enough! Along with help from hunky fellow writer Lucas Salvatore, Viola is determined to ascertain who killed the corpse in the cabana before she or Cheryl winds up in jail. Or worse.

Viola Roberts cozy mysteries:

The Corpse in the Cabana

The Stiff in the Study

The Poison in the Pudding

The Body in the Bathtub

The Venom in the Valentine

The Remains in the Rectory

The Death in the Drink

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Website⎮Twitter⎮Facebook

So allow me to take a minute for this revelation: I had never read a "Cozy Mystery" series before but they always intrigued. Based on this particular novel series, I'll be coming back for more for sure!

Viola Roberts is the quintessential nosy-body. She cannot be content to attend the simple writers conference with her bff, she has to stumble across a dead body and worse, is compelled to turn amateur sleuth (she writes historical western romance). She is brassy and takes no crap, and while she struggles with being "a certain age" is imminently relatable. Better yet, her side kicks include her writer BFF Cheryl and world renowned writer Lucas who seems quite smitten with the attitude and antics of Viola as she attempts to "get to the bottom" of the dead romance novelist.

Noteworthy bits: The narration is extremely well done. Initially, I was not a fan - it seemed stilted and a bit offputting. However, as the story picked up steam, Ms Keller hit her stride. She maintained a consistent voice, great mix of character vocalizations, and good pacing. By the mid point of the story, she had captured the personality of the characters and the humor within the story and made it her own.

The writing is well done. There are clever bits of dialogue between Viola and the detective as well as several other characters. As well, some good red herrings, plot twists and a great lead up to an action packed ending. For sure worth a weekend/pool/beach read, this is high on entertainment value but relatively short in length (4.75hrs total). The story flows well, with some great humor, a budding romance, and a thrilling end. There is no graphic sex, violence, or foul language.

I give this audiobook 4 Chocolate Dipped Strawberries and recommend the 2nd in the series! I received this audiobook as part of my participation in a blog tour with Audiobookworm Promotions. The gifting of this audiobook did not affect my review decisions.

Q&A with Shéa MacLeod, author of The Viola Roberts Cozy Mysteries

How did you select your narrator?
- In the case of the Viola Roberts books, Yvette is a long-time friend and historical costuming buddy. Working with her was natural and fun.
How closely did you work with your narrator before and during the recording process?
- We definitely went over pronunciations and character tips, but for the most part, I just let her do her thing. And she knocked it out of the park.
Were there any real life inspirations behind your writing?
- Always, yes. The Corpse in the Cabana was inspired by my own trip to a writer conference in Florida. Only in real life there weren’t any dead bodies.
How do you manage to avoid burn-out? What do you do to maintain your enthusiasm for writing?
- Take time out to enjoy life. Travel. Experience the world. It not only recharges me, but provides so much inspiration.
What do you say to those who view listening to audiobooks as “cheating” or as inferior to “real reading”?
- You probably don’t want to know what I think about people who say snide things about what other people love. “Listening” exercises a different part of your brain than “reading” with your eyes, but a story is a story is a story. Either way you still have to activate your imagination. And whatever format you choose to read (or listen) to, that’s fantastic! Not everyone has the time or ability to sit down and read a physical or ebook.
What gets you out of a writing slump? What about a reading slump?
- I just keep writing. Maybe write something different and new. Reading slump? What’s that?
If this title were being made into a TV series or movie, who would you cast to play the primary roles?
- Melissa McCarthy would play Viola Roberts. She’s who I had in my head when I was writing. Any time I was stuck, I would say to myself, “What would Melissa McCarthy do?”
Have any of your characters ever appeared in your dreams?
- Yes. Lady Rample came to me in a dream. Which is why that series now exists.
How did you celebrate after finishing this novel?
- The same way Viola would: With a glass (or two) of red wine.
What’s next for you?
- This year, I’ll be turning the Lady Rample Mysteries into audiobooks and starting a brand new cozy mystery series set in the 1940s.

THE CORPSE IN THE CABANA

THE STIFF IN THE STUDY

THE DEATH IN THE DRINK

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Saturday, March 2, 2019

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/

Monday, December 17, 2018

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.

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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

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Pages To Peek At

Wednesday, May 22, 2019

The Viola Roberts Cozy Mystery Series audiobook tour, Book 2, #The Stiff in the Study @Shea_MacLeod, @YvetteKeller @AnAudioBookworm

Author: Shéa MacLeod

Narrator: Yvette Keller

Length: 4 hours 20 minutes

Series: The Viola Roberts Cozy Mysteries, Book 2

Publisher: Shéa MacLeod

Release date: May 17, 2017

Genre: Cozy Mystery

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Q&A with Yvette Keller, Narrator of The Viola Roberts Cozy Mysteries

THE CORPSE IN THE CABANA

THE STIFF IN THE STUDY

THE DEATH IN THE DRINK

Wednesday, May 15, 2019

The Viola Roberts Cozy Mystery Series audiobook tour, Book 1, #The Corpse in the Cabana @Shea_MacLeod, @YvetteKeller @AnAudioBookworm

Author: Shéa MacLeod

Narrator: Yvette Keller

Length: 4 hours 47 minutes

Series: The Viola Roberts Cozy Mysteries, Book 1

Publisher: Shéa MacLeod

Release date: Aug. 29, 2016

Genre: Cozy Mystery

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Q&A with Shéa MacLeod, author of The Viola Roberts Cozy Mysteries

THE CORPSE IN THE CABANA

THE STIFF IN THE STUDY

THE DEATH IN THE DRINK

Saturday, March 2, 2019

Jacked Cat Jive by @Rhys_Ford @dreamspinners #BLOGTOUR

Monday, December 17, 2018

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

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By Author Jennifer Alsever

Q&A with Author JENNIFER ALSEVER

NDULGE in Audiobooks