Audiobook Blog Tour #The Swansong Conspiracy #The Eldritch Twins @AnAudiobookworm @NickVossen @MarcusRVoice

Author: Nick Vossen

Narrator: Marcus Rothenberg

Length: 8 hours 30 minutes

Series: The Eldritch Twins, Book 1

Publisher: The Parliament House

Released: Jan. 5, 2021

Genre: Horror; New Adult

Audiobook Blog Tour #The Witches of Vegas @MarkRosendorf @AnAudiobookworm

Author: Mark Rosendorf

Narrator: Jeffery Lynn Hutchins

Length: 7 hours 9 minutes

Publisher: The Wild Rose Press

Released: January 21, 2021

Genre: Fantasy; YA

Audiobook Tour: #Wrong Side of the Storm - #Mothman Mysteries, Book Two @mogdocnews @AnAudiobookworm

Author: Bryna Butler

Narrator: Michael Mola

Length: 3 hours 2 minutes

Series: Mothman Mysteries, Book 2

Publisher: Swancrest Publishing

Genre: Paranormal Mystery; YA

Audiobook Blog Tour #Second String Savior @RickGualtieri @TotalRECarr @aemmes @AnAudiobookworm

Author: Rick Gualtieri, R.E. Carr

Narrator: Andrea Emmes

Length: 12 hours 46 minutes

Series: False Icons Series, Book 1

Publisher: Tantor Audio

Genre: Contemporary Fantasy

Jessie Flores is having the ultimate bad hair day.

Imagine going to bed with mousy brown locks and waking up with a headful of supernova scarlet. It's a hot new look for me - literally, because it bursts into flames whenever I'm threatened.

My magical makeover is all Gary's fault. I knew there was something off from the moment he transferred to my school. Go figure. He's a wizard with a trust fund and an inferiority complex.

Now, thanks to him, I've graduated from high school bullies to supernatural terrors and that's not all. Fate has chosen me to face the legendary vampire destined to destroy the world.

If I want to survive, I'll have to dig deep and discover whether I'm truly worthy of this new power. Because if not, everything I hold dear will soon burn even hotter than my hair.

Rick Gualtieri loves to write adventure, mayhem, and snarky dialogue. His bestselling Tome of Bill series combines all of this into a world of supernatural danger with hard-hitting action and plenty of sharp-tongued geeky humor.

Rick lives alone in a dark, evil place called New Jersey with only his wife, three kids, and countless pets to both keep him company and constantly plot against him. When he’s not busy monkey-clicking out words, he can typically be found either playing Dungeons & Dragons, losing at video games, or jealously guarding his collection of vintage Transformers from all who would seek to defile them.

Defilers Beware!

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E. Carr likes to split her time between the alien (well resident alien) she married, her two adorable offspring and the vast army of characters who constantly argue in her brain. She uses her past life as a video game reviewer to remind herself just how awesome it is to be writing novels now.

Rachel writes because she knows so many people and places that never quite made it into this version of the universe. It’s her duty to let them out. Writing also gives her mind a certain peace and calm rarely felt in this multi-tasking, wired world.

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Best Selling, Award Winning Audiobook Narrator, Andrea Emmes was born in Hollywood, Florida, grew up in both Tennessee and Rhode Island and started her career in musical theatre. She’s enjoyed an eclectic career as a singer, dancer, Vegas Headliner, Magician’s Assistant, a Recording Artist and a Video Game Designer.

A total book nerd, Andrea, now enjoys narrating all genres of audiobooks, especially YA, LitRPG, Mystery, Romance, and NonFictionat her professional home studio in San Jose, CA.

Her wide range of character voices and dynamic/emotionally invested performances has reviewers and listeners alike commenting on how she effortlessly pulls listeners in and has versatility and charisma.

Fun Facts: Andrea has a Bachelor of Science in Game Art and Design; was a game designer for Disney Interactive; and gets her gamer-geek on playing games of all kinds!

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SECOND STRING SAVIOR is a novel set in the Tome of Bill world. Which is something that I personally knew nothing about prior to listening to this audiobook but will be remedying rather quickly now that I have finished it.  I am a complete sucker for urban fantasy and if you can mix in comedy, snark, sass and bad puns you had me at hello.

I adored the protagonist, teenage Jesse Flores, a comic book nerd from a family of renowned MMA fighters just trying to make her way in a school way above her zip code.  She is like a combo of Buffy, Veronica Mars and all the other kickass teen heroines that are just trying to get by and like a boy who may or may not like them back.  Rick Gualtieri and R. E. Carr have written a story that takes the reader on a serious Mr. Toad-style wild ride - introducing a world of magical creatures, Magi, vampires and everyone's favorite prophecy about the end of days.  As long as Jesse can avoid being grounded long enough to do something about it, it should be no problem, right??

As a self professed queen of my own Nerd Herd, the plethora of Buffy references lead one to believe the story will take one path - especially with the multiple "dust ups" in the early parts of the story.  However, apparently those in the know, know that the "False Icons" subtitle lets the reader know that all is not what it seems and perhaps there are multiple potentials for the savior of the world and even if Jesse isn't the Chosen One, perhaps she has a roll in this fight because as a Flores, she was taught to fight for herself if that was necessary.  Certainly the authors had devious plot bunnies (or Sasquatches) in mind when writing this because the first and second halves of this book go from fast paced to full steam ahead.  The secondary characters are every bit as delightful as the main one - I adored Jesse's family, Gary and the witches and they are what make this book so endearing when it might teeter on the verge of eye rolling at moments.

Andrea Emmes does a fantastic job narrating this book.  Honestly, the first chapter was so jarring that I almost passed on it but her voice and her characterization of Jesse kept me intrigued long enough to get invested.  She was the hook and the key to the ultimate success of this audiobook for me.  Capturing the teen heroine, her posse of friends and allies, weird magical creatures and the wicked awesome Boston suburb accents that help it have that tiny ring of truth that every great urban fantasy needs to plant a seed and make it grow.

I'm eager to see how her journey progresses and what's going to happen next in the series.  You can bet I'll be checking out the rest of the universe! As for Ms. Emmes, she is now one of my auto-buy narrators!

I give Second String Savior 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 Andrea Emmes. The gifting of this audiobook did not affect my opinion of it.



Oct. 13th:

The Book Junkie Reads . . .

Viviana MacKade

Turning Another Page

Oct. 14th:

Valerie Ullmer | Romance Author

Nyx Blogs

Always Love Me Some Books

Oct. 15th:

Dab of Darkness Book Reviews

Eileen Troemel

Oct. 16th:

All the Ups and Downs

4 the Love of Audiobooks

Oct. 17th:

Nesie's Place

The Book Addict’s Reviews

Oct. 18th:

Cafeyre

JBronder Book Reviews

Oct. 19th:

Dazzled by Books

Jazzy Book Reviews

Guilty Indulgence Bookub

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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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

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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




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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