Audiobook blog tour - #Between Ink and Shadows @_melissa_wright @heroinetheplay @AnAudiobookworm

Author: Melissa Wright

Narrator: Mary Jane Wells

Length: 6 hours and 22 minutes

Series: Between Ink and Shadows, Book 1

Publisher: Melissa Wright

Released: Apr. 25, 2022

Genre: Epic Fantasy; Historical Romance

                                                  

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!

Website⎮Twitter⎮Facebook

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.

Website⎮Twitter⎮Facebook

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!

Website⎮Twitter⎮Facebook⎮Instagram

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.

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 #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!

Website⎮Twitter⎮Facebook⎮Goodreads⎮Instagram

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.

Prize: $25 Amazon Gift Card

Beneath Giveaway: $25 Amazon Gift Card




Oct. 2nd:

Lynn's Romance Enthusiasm

The Book Junkie Reads . . .

What Emma Read Next

Oct. 3rd:

The Bookworm Lodge

Oct. 4th:

Smada's Book Smack

Jazzy Book Reviews

T's Stuff

Writers N Authors

Oct. 5th:

Hall Ways Blog

eBook Addicts

Expression Gal

Oct. 6th:

Guilty Indulgence Bookclub

Book Addict

Oct. 7th:

Buried Under Books

The Book Addict's Reviews

Oct. 8th:

Wonderlandians Books

Lomeraniel

➜Sign up as a host here