Guilty Indulgence

Tuesday, November 20, 2018

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.

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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.

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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

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:

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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Friday, November 16, 2018

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

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Saturday, October 6, 2018

Audiobook blog tour #Beneath @MaureenAMiller @AnAudiobookworm

Author: Maureen A. Miller

Narrator: Brandy Skelly

Length: 8 hours and 12 minutes

Series: Beneath, Book 1

Publisher: Maureen A. Miller

Released: Aug. 17, 2018

Genre: Fantasy; Young Adult

From USA Today best-selling author Maureen A. Miller comes this young adult adventure that will plunge you deep into the Atlantic Ocean.

It was Stella Gullaksen's final break before starting her freshman year at college. Joining her best friend Jill and Jill's family aboard the Starkissed, Stella wakes up to a violent storm that capsizes the boat over a hundred miles off the New Jersey shore.

As the waves pull her under, Stella knows that she is going to die. Instead, an unusual current drags her deep into the underwater canyons of the Atlantic Ocean. Powerless against the raging waters, she is suddenly sucked into a ventilated cave. One by one, Jill and her family also emerge in the sunken cavern. With only a faulty diving flashlight to keep oblivion at bay, Stella and her best friend's brother Colin search the cave in hope of finding a way back to the surface. What they discover, however, is that they are not alone. There are other survivors in this subterranean grotto - survivors spanning decades of maritime disasters.

Will this discovery prove salvation, or have they all been condemned to the same fate? A grim finale at the bottom of the sea? On an alliance forged by friendship and attraction, Stella and Colin battle to escape the danger that lies beneath.

USA TODAY bestselling author, Maureen A. Miller worked in the software industry for fifteen years. She crawled around plant floors in a hard hat and safety glasses hooking up computers to behemoth manufacturing machines. The job required extensive travel. The best form of escapism during those lengthy airport layovers became writing.

Maureen's first novel, WIDOW'S TALE, earned her a Golden Heart nomination in Romantic Suspense. After that she became hooked to the genre. In fact, she was so hooked she is the founder of the JUST ROMANTIC SUSPENSE website.

Recently, Maureen branched out into the Young Adult Science Fiction market with the popular BEYOND Series. To her it was still Romantic Suspense...just on another planet!

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I studied theatre in college, and even participated in storytelling festivals when I was growing up. I'm a practicing attorney, and love to participate in ACX projects to keep my creative side happy and fulfilled. I can perform fiction and non-fiction, in neutral-American or Southern-American accents.

I live in North Carolina with my husband, toddler, and pound puppy. I have a soft spot for romance and I love a good laugh!

Big warning - for those afraid of the big wide ocean, things that go bump in the dark and wondering just what lies in the darkest depths leagues below the surface, this story may have you on edge for a bit. For the rest, who are slightly claustrophobic and fear dark and enclosed spaces, the rest of the book may be a rough ride. But for those who tough it out, Beneath may prove to be a challenge worth the effort as Maureen Miller weaves a tale of a family and friend who are capsized in an unsuspecting storm and miraculously survive a slingshot current taking them on a wormhole journey through the depths of the ocean into a land beneath the sea.

This is not a fairy tale. There are no mermaids and magic dust. Just survivors and lots of secrets. Stella, Jill, Colin and their parents wind up in the odd cobbled together Underworld with its fresh water from the River Styx and the inhabitant who take them under their wings. There is little trust and survival is at stake. Only Stella and Colin seem to be dedicated to the prospect of keeping track of time and finding a way back to the surface however. Full of intrigue and the first blushes of romance, Beneath strikes a good balance of action and well crafted story with great characters and solid dialogue

Brandy Skelly does a solid job of narrating with varied tone and inflection to keep the characters unique and interesting. She also brings great cadence and pace to the story which could have a tendency to flag or roll into melodrama (as it is about teens trapped in a cavern miles below the ocean's surface). I found it to be very engaging and definitely enjoyed the performance overall.

I give Beneath four chocolate dipped Strawberries and a can of flat coke (you'll have to read to get that joke). I received this audiobook as part of my participation in a blog tour with Audiobookworm Promotions. The tour is being sponsored by Maureen A. Miller. The gifting of this audiobook did not affect my opinion of it.

Q&A with Author Maureen A. Miller

Was a possible audiobook recording something you were conscious of while writing?
- No. If I went into thinking about an audiobook I might have written something resembling a screenplay versus a novel. But a strong narrator has the magic to take any tale and captivate the reader’s ears.
How did you select your narrator?
- I had several auditions, most with seasoned narrators. Yet, listening through the auditions one voice stood out. Brandy Skelly. The main character, Stella, is young and is thrown into a surreal and dangerous situation. Brandy Skelly delivered the drama and incredulity in that initial audition, captivating me.
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?
- In this whole big country of ours, what are the odds of learning that your narrator lives in the next town? We discussed pronunciations and dialect. For the most part, all characters were from the New York/New Jersey area. Brandy nailed the Long Island accent!
Were there any real life inspirations behind your writing?
- My characters always borrow upon people from my past, as remote as the connection my be. Stella Gullaksen, the main character was named after a Swedish girl I went to middle school with.
How do you manage to avoid burn-out? What do you do to maintain your enthusiasm for writing?
- I’m an early morning writer. I can conquer the universe between 6am and 10am. After that my conquests taper off, until sometime around 9pm I am reduced to structured sentences that sound like “Run Spot run.”
Are you an audiobook listener? What about the audiobook format appeals to you?
- Audiobooks are the only way I can manage a long drive. If I have to travel far for a book signing or conference, I devour audiobooks along the way. And if the book is not finished by the time I get there, I will circle around a block ten or twenty times until it is complete!
Is there a particular part of this story that you feel is more resonating in the audiobook performance than in the book format?
- The opening sequence. Brandy captures the desperation of the scene perfectly.
What do you say to those who view listening to audiobooks as “cheating” or as inferior to “real reading”?
- When I was a kid our local radio station used to read a scary story every Wednesday night long after my bedtime. I would sneak the radio under my covers and stick the speaker up against my ear so that my parents wouldn’t hear. I loved hearing those Wednesday night stories! Was that cheating, or was I just enjoying being told a tale?
How did you celebrate after finishing this novel?
- I started the sequel! Although this book has a certain closure, there is room for more to be told.
In your opinion, what are the pros and cons of writing a stand-alone novel vs. writing a series?
- With a standalone you can pour your heart and soul into one story and not have to worry about leaving anything leftover for the next. There is as much satisfaction for the author to tie up strings as there is for the reader. However, a series lets an author hold on to characters that are near and dear to her heart.