Audiobookworm Blog Tour: Starblind Series, Book #1

7 February 2018 14 May 2018 / Audiobook Blog Tours / Ashley Holt, Audiobook Blog Tour Spotlight, Audiobook Tours, D.T. Dyllin, First In Series, Paranormal Romance, Starblind Series / 1 Comment

Author: D.T. Dyllin

Narrator: Ashley Holt

Length: 6 hours 59 minutes

**Series: Starblind, Book 1**

Publisher: Tik Tok Press

Released: May 19, 2017

Genre: Romantic Science Fiction

Owner of the Chimay grade starship dubbed The Pittsburgh, Captain Jane Sevis is one of the best bounty hunters in the galaxy. Except for the occasional problematic hunt, her life is pretty uncomplicated. When a particularly slippery target reveals the real reason for being in her database, her world is turned upside down in more ways than one. Will she follow her gut and look the other way for the man she may be falling for? Or will their love fall prey to her mercenary heart before it gets a real chance to ignite?

D.T. Dyllin is a bestselling author who writes paranormal, sci-fi, and contemporary romance. Basically, anything with a love story is her kryptonite. Her obsession with affairs-of-the-heart is what first drove her to begin twisting her own tales of scorching romance.

D.T. was born and raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Black & Gold for life, baby!) She now lives in Raleigh, North Carolina with her husband, and two spoiled German Shepherds.

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Former NPR PBS FM radio host/announcer in a major media market, with a warm mezzo female voice. I have a background in opera and can present in English, Italian, German, French, Latin. With a background in the performing arts and opera, I can sing as well as do some accents.

Home includes a husband shaped person, 2 cats, volunteerism and an active online gaming presence.
No audiobook genre is taboo, which makes for very interesting dinner table discussion.

Member, Audio Producers Association

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**Series: Starblind, Book 1**

Full Review Here:
Starblind (Starblind #1)

Read Along With Me: Starblind
Click Here

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

Q&A with Narrator Ashley Holt

How did you wind up narrating audiobooks? Was it always your goal or was it something you stumbled into by chance?
- HA< totally by chance. A friend of mine asked me for help building her recording studio. (My day job is in TV/internet broadcast, so that is why she asked me) I asked her what it was for, and she said “I’m going to narrate for Audible. YOU should do it” So I auditioned for 3 books and got all 3 of them right out of the gate. One of those books is still one of my best sellers. It is a non-fiction book about the Meyers-Broggs MBTI personality profiles and how yo use them to analyze people. My friend? Narrated one book and quit after finding out how hard it is.
Did you find it difficult to “break into” audiobook narration? What skill/tool helped you the most when getting started?
- No, but I really have an edge many folks don’t: a combo platter of: a background in radio, acting and opera (yes, singing) and a very strong tech background in audio/video production and website development. (my dad always insisted I have a backup plan for that artsy career I wanted. So its easy for me to narrate, produce and deal with the website interface of ACX. My Achilles heel? MARKETING. 😉 Might be why I am here.
A lot of narrators seem to have a background in theatre. Is that something you think is essential to a successful narration career?
- A THOUSAND TIMES YES. There are authors that think they can narrate their own book because they have done book readings. Audiobooks are an entirely different animal.The listener wants an IMMERSIVE experience, with full-blown characterizations and world-building.
What type of training have you undergone?
- I have an MFA in opera, and over 20 years of experience preparing and singing opera roles. I have audiobook coaches. (an absolute MUST) One for non-fiction, one for fiction, and one for dialects/accents.
How do you manage to avoid burn-out? What do you do to maintain your enthusiasm for narrating?
- The big lesson I learned is to not take too many books in the same genre. There are only so many ways you can voice certain romance scenes, so I need a non-fiction or a sci-fi or my new favorite genre, LitRPG to mix things up.
Are you an audiobook listener? What about the audiobook format appeals to you?
- This is a holdover from my opera days. YOu always listen to the greats. Listening to them is also a form of coaching. Kate Reading and Xe Sands are 2 I like a lot, I also listen to my coaches, Sean Pratt (who is currently working on his 950th book) and Carol Monda. I mentioned before, I do this part time. My day job involves a LOT of traveling, both local and cross-country. When I’m stuck in a 6 hour layover in Houston, or have to drive cross-country audiobooks are a godsend!!!
What are your favorite and least favorite parts of narrating an audiobook?
- Favorite? When I feel that phrase hit just right for the moment and the mood. Starblind was a TON of fun in that regard, because I am snarky/sarcastic by nature, so her character fit like a glove…Least favorite is marking during prep. My prep involves reading the book multiple times, (which I love) and then I have to mark pronuncistions, breathing, pauses, emotions, accents…when I wa still using an Android tablet, it was horrendous. I love Android, but switching to an iPad was a game-changer in that respect.
What would you say are your strongest narration abilities?
- Right now, dialogue, especially if its snappy patter. I think I channel Rosalind Russell in “His Girl Friday” or Rene Russo in “The Thomas Crown Affair” remake a LOT.
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?
- OMG yes, and I learned this one the hard way. Regency Romance. The only one I did, I did not use an accent. (Granted, the author did not request it, but STILL) Then after I was done, I found out that an RP British accent is de rigeur, and I took a BEATING in reviews over it. Dialect coach says its one of the hardest to learn, so I won’t be doing any of those titles anytime soon.
Starblind, Book 1

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Audiobook Romance

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Flux, Book 3

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Dab of Darkness Audiobook Reviews

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Audiobook Romance

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Up ‘Til Dawn Book Blog

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Audiobookworm Blog Tour: A Witch’s Path Box Set, Book #2

6 February 2018 14 May 2018 / Audiobook Blog Tours / Audiobook Blog Tour Spotlight, Audiobook Blog Tours, Audiobook Tours, Audiobookworm, First In Series, Jeff Hays, Kindle Unlimited, N.E. Conneely, Paranormal Romance, Read Free, Witch for Hire Series / 1 Comment

Author: N.E. Conneely

Narrator: Jeff Hays, Soundbooth Theater

**Series: A Witch’s Path, Book 2**

Length: 7 hours 26 minutes

Publisher: N.E. Conneely

Released: Aug. 27, 2015

Genre: Paranormal, Supernatural

After a near death experience, Michelle has vowed to do her job, magical assistance for the police, and leave the heroics to someone else. Besides, life should be settling down for her since the trolls have been captured and the sorceress was neutralized. Unfortunately, the power behind the sorceress wants her dead, Elron starts acting funny, a magical creature wreaks havoc on a town, and there’s trouble with the werewolves. As if that wasn’t enough, the clans have started to notice her power and she has more reasons than ever to fear the clans.

Things go from bad to worse when Michelle’s best friend is abducted, and she must decide between her friend and her vow to stay out of dangerous situations.

N.E. Conneely lives in northern Georgia with her dog and a mountain of books. They sweat through the summer and freeze through the winter, and life as they know it comes to an end when so much as a single snowflake falls out of the sky. For fun, N.E. plays with her dog, reads, knits, crochets, paints, and does tie-dyeing and origami. She makes a great pizza and is currently negotiating with her husband about raising sea monkeys and growing a vegetable garden.

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Jeff Hays has made a name for himself in the audio book world by creating immersive experiences out of his productions. His versatility and authenticity in voicing characters, expressive low-impact narration, and dedication to offering the highest quality audio possible has earned him a loyal following of listeners. Having been fascinated with sound since he can remember, Jeff takes his background of composing and producing music, and his continual consumption of the avalanche of fictional media we all experience in these modern times, and uses it to inform his style of story telling in the audiobook realm.

And now, having produced more than 80 audio books and perfecting his craft, using the namesake of his live streaming narration show, the Soundbooth Theater shingle has been hung. Soundbooth Theater is dedicated to applying Jeff’s production methods to new audio books with other budding narrator talent, and expanding his scope from audio books, to voicing and producing animation.

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**Series: A Witch’s Path, Book 2**

Full Review Here:
A Witch’s Path (Witch for Hire #2)

Read Along With Me: A Witch’s Path
Click Here

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

Q&A with Narrator Jeff Hays

When did you know you wanted to be an audiobook narrator?
- Probably after the first audio book I narrated. I enjoyed the process so much, and the product itself was so much more satisfying than any voice-over project I’d ever worked on. I was the director and the whole cast, and it was the closest thing to composing music I’d encountered up until then.
How did you wind up narrating audiobooks? Was it always your goal or was it something you stumbled into by chance?
- This was definitely something I stumbled into. Voice acting itself was something I had the gear for (but I really didn’t) that I decided to give a shot. Before that I was trying to get work editing video. One time I was hired for an audio book project that pretty well… and I was hooked.
Did you find it difficult to “break into” audiobook narration? What skill/tool helped you the most when getting started?
- I’m sure the “breaking into” part of my career was more of a gradual thing that I never noticed. I just kept producing until people started listening.I’d say music production and performance have been my most valuable skills in developing this craft. Melody and rhythm are essential to narrating audio books. And most important, for inflection and character voices, are ears.
A lot of narrators seem to have a background in theatre. Is that something you think is essential to a successful narration career?
- No. My theater background is a couple plays and classes, in high school, and I can’t say that those experiences have had a huge impact on how I act in the booth.
What type of training have you undergone?
- I’ve taken some accent lessons from Amy Walker, taken a class with Elaine Clark recently about commercial VO and adding musicality to the read. I also took 3 sessions at the KC Improv Theater this year. Otherwise, all my other education is in other things,
How do you manage to avoid burn-out? What do you do to maintain your enthusiasm for narrating?
- I have no idea! I just keep going and stay as focused as possible. It’s really not that hard cause I love doing it that much. But keeping myself from burning out is something I’ve had trouble with. I put too much on my plate, so I’m always busy as hell. I’m going to Thailand NEXT Friday, so that should help me reset!
Are you an audiobook listener? What about the audiobook format appeals to you?
- I don’t read audio books much. They’re too long, and it’s very difficult to find an audio book that I can stay awake through. I also tend to focus on critiquing inflection while I listen, so I totally lose the story. And since it’s what I do for a living, it’s sort of the last thing I want to do when I actually do give myself some time off.
What are your favorite and least favorite parts of narrating an audiobook?
- My favorite part is always the characters and their voices. My least favorite part is probably the industry. I love producing and talking to listeners, but I don’t like the way the business works, really.
What would you say are your strongest narration abilities?
- Dialogue is probably my biggest strength. It’s not just getting the individual characters right, it’s also getting their relationships to each other right. Timing, for dramatic or comedic effect, is something that I think most audio books absolutely do not get right, and it’s something I’ve always thought was essential to giving an effective performance.
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 think I’m in the right genres right now: Sci-Fi and Fantasy. My actual specialty is a genre called LitRPG (Or RPG GameLit, there are issues with the genre name right now due to a ridiculous trademark issue), but it’s clearly a subgenre of sci-fi and fantasy. This is because I put so much into characters, and these genres tend to have more colorful, monstrous or alien types of characters. The more extreme and crazy a character is, the more fun they are to play.
What about this title compelled you to audition as narrator?
- When I first found the job from N.E. Conneely, it was up for audition on ACX, and it had a $100 pfh stipend on it. This meant Audible would pay me $100 per finished hour of the audio book, as well as paying royalties to me for sales. But it was calling for a dual cast. I auditioned for both parts just for fun, and I was surprised to hear that the author just wanted me to do both characters. Narrating convincingly as a female is both an interesting challenge, and painful and humiliating. But sticking to it and finishing the first three books for N.E. Conneely was a great learning experience, and it truly conditioned my voice to a point that, at least when I play characters, making females sound convincing is completely effortless for me now.

Book 1

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Audiobookworm Blog Tour: A Witch’s Path Box Set, Book #1

30 January 2018 14 May 2018 / Audiobook Blog Tours / Audiobook Blog Tour Spotlight, Audiobook Tours, First In Series, Jeff Hays, Kindle Unlimited, N.E. Conneely, Paranormal Romance, Read Free, Witch for Hire Series / 1 Comment

Author: N.E. Conneely

Narrator: Jeff Hays, Soundbooth Theater

**Series: A Witch’s Path, Book 1**

Length: 7 hours 14 minutes

Publisher: N.E. Conneely

Released: Feb. 11, 2015

Genre: Paranormal, Supernatural

Most witches don’t work for police departments, but Michelle isn’t your average witch. She’s clanless, looking for a wizard who isn’t offended by her lack of family connections, and in danger of losing her job if she can’t find the escaped trolls before they start eating the local residents.

Trolls, angry police, and misbehaving spells are the least of her problems. Statues attacking homeowners might be problematic for your average witch, but to Michelle it’s another day at the office. Her real concern is the wizard suddenly interested in dating her and an old elf set on pestering her. When her happy family is rocked by a long kept secret her stable life falls apart faster than she can pick up the pieces.

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**Series: A Witch’s Path, Book 1**

Full Review Here:
Witch for Hire (Witch for Hire #1)

Read Along With Me: Witch for Hire
Click Here

Q&A with Author N.E. Conneely

- Tell us about the process of turning your book into an audiobook.
  - As an author the process is rather easy. Once Jeff was onboard with the project all I had to do were some pronunciation recordings, listen to the book, and give it the go ahead. The Jeff and Soundbooth have done all the heavy lifting.
- Do you believe certain types of writing translate better into audiobook format?
  - I think my experiences in working with Soudbooth Theater and Jeff have been different from most author’s because of how Jeff approaches the narration. He really wants to bring the story to life and make it as immersive as possible for the reader rather than simply read it
- Was a possible audiobook recording something you were conscious of while writing?
  - Not even a little. Witch for Hire started out as a combination of writing exercise and National Novel Writing Month project way back in 2009. It wasn’t until 2013 that I got motivated to publish the book and write the rest of the series.
- How did you select your narrator?
  - A put a sample of the book up for audition. Jeff was the only narrator who could do a male and female voice, which was rather necessary for the story as it has multiple first person points of view, so I picked him.

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?
- Yes and no. Jeff read through the books before starting the narration so he had a pretty good feel for the characters. The pronunciation of some of the names and terms have been trickier. Since the books take place in north Georgia there are a lot of names that can be traced back to the Cherokee tribes who originally lived here. Ellijay, Etowah, Cohuttah, Dahlonega, and other names are a little tricky to figure out just from the spelling.
Were there any real life inspirations behind your writing?
- I always heard the saying, “Write what you know.” That sounded great until I wanted to write fantasy. No one really knows magic, but I did know north Georgia. I grew up there, went to college, and worked my first job in the area so I picked that for the setting. It was what I knew.
Is there a particular part of this story that you feel is more resonating in the audiobook performance than in the book format?
- It’s not really a single part, but I love how the narration brings out the snark and sarcasm that are in the books! It can be difficult to make that show through in text, but it’s so vivid the audiobook!
If you had the power to time travel, would you use it? If yes, when and where would you go?
- No. I think we experience time as a linear constant to give us motivation to stay in the present and make the most of it. We only get one try at the here and now, which to me is part of what defines the human experience.
What do you say to those who view listening to audiobooks as “cheating” or as inferior to “real reading”?
- No. Not everyone can physically read. Audiobooks give the deaf access to thousands of books they wouldn’t otherwise be able to experience. Even lifelong print readers can find themselves transition to audio. My grandmother loves to read, but she had tremors that make it very difficult for her to hold a book steady enough to read it or easily turn pages. Audiobooks are how she continues to read.
How did you celebrate after finishing each novel this series?
- Oh, well, it depends on the book. When I finished Witch for Hire I celebrated by starting A Witch’s Path. When I finished A Witch’s Path I went out to dinner with my family and had a margarita. I think for A Witch’s Trial I had two glasses of wine and bought myself a tiny glass flying pig. Upon completing A Witch’s Concern, I went on a date with the man who became my husband. I didn’t celebrate finishing A Witch’s Rite because I was sick. For A Witch’s Demons, I went out to dinner and had a margarita.
What gets you out of a writing slump? What about a reading slump?
- When I’m in a writing slump I try to read more and sometimes I switch projects until I find something that sparks my imagination. As for a reading slump, well, I tend to go in cycles of reading a lot and not reading much.
Have any of your characters ever appeared in your dreams?
- Yup! Michelle first showed up in a dream. While the dream has nothing in common with the books, it did spark the idea and I’ve really loved writing Michelle’s adventures.
What bits of advice would you give to aspiring authors?
- Read, write, repeat. Write new things, read news books, reread books, read your own work, and write something new. Then do it all over again. There’s no substitute for reading and writing.
Do you have any tips for authors going through the process of turning their books into audiobooks?
- Enjoy it. Enjoy hearing the characters come to life and know that even if audio isn’t your favorite format, you’re making some readers very happy.
What’s next for you?
- Write another book! I have a story arc for three more Michelle books as well as lots of other worlds that are begging to be explored so I have a lot of work to do!