Jeff Hays

Audiobookworm Blog Tour: A Witch’s Path, Book 4

A Witch’s Concern

Author: N.E. Conneely

Narrators: Jeff Hays, Laurie Catherine Winkel

Series: A Witch’s Path, Book 4

Length: 7 hours 25 minutes

Publisher: N.E. Conneely

Released: Jan. 16, 2018

Genre: Paranormal, Supernatural

 

Michelle has been figuring out what her life is like now that the demon has been killed, and Sylvia and Varro are dead. Even the clans of witches trying to attract her to their way of life have backed off and given her a chance to grieve. Her relationship with Elron is stronger than ever, but there are things left unsaid.

On the way to her parents’ wedding, the delicate calm she’d been living in is broken. Witches are out for her blood, her family is caught in the crossfire, and friendships are threatened. Work doesn’t let up either, and she partners up with Elron to deal with magic gone wild. Michelle finds that her problems are larger than one clan of witches, and is forced to choose between the people she holds dear and the way of life she loves.

This is the fourth book in a series, following A Witch’s Trial. It is a standalone novel, however, your experience will be greatly enhanced if you’ve heard the previous books.

N.E. Conneely

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.

FacebookTwitterGoodreads
 

Narrator Bio

 

Jeff Hays

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.

WebsiteFacebookTwitterYoutube
 

Narrator Bio

 

Laurie Catherine Winkel

Laurie got into voiceover by studying with the legendary dialect expert Paul Meier and hosting the teen program for a nonprofit for the blind, Kansas Audio Reader. She speaks French fluently and, before diving into audiobooks, lived and performed for some time in France. She’s racking up some bizarre credits, playing a range of characters onscreen from Disney princesses to horror scream queens, and proving her audio versatility by narrating everything from cowboy romances to action-packed GameLit fantasy trolls. You can also catch her in a few VR video games. Her favorite is playing confident, power-hungry, whip-smart anti-heroines.

Like Jeff Hays, she hails from the Kansas City area but currently lives in Atlanta.

 

WebsiteFacebookInstagramAudible

 

 

To read my full review,

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 Laurie Catherine Winkel

 

  1. How did you wind up narrating audiobooks? Was it always your goal or was it something you stumbled into by chance?
    1. Well, I was encouraged to do so by my professor, Paul Meier, who I had no idea was a big name in the audiobook world for his dialect coaching and founding the IDEA archives. I kind of stumbled into it later when I was asked to audition for a program called Kansas Audio Reader in college, which was a specialized radio broadcast for the blind. For three years I ran a program reading YA books for blind teens. I had no idea it was going to be so relevant to my life.
  2. Did you find it difficult to “break into” audiobook narration? What skill/tool helped you the most when getting started?
    1. Because I had unknowingly gained all that experience in nonprofit, and training in my acting work, I found the performance pretty accessible. What was throw-your-headphones-at-the-wall infuriating was all the tech! I am not a tech-savvy person, and learning even the basic specs of audio recording was a huge struggle. When troubleshooting one of my first home-recorded books, I spent so much time on internet forums that my eyes dried out and I got a twitch. But there’s a lot of help available on the internet if you ask the right questions.
  3. A lot of narrators seem to have a background in theatre. Is that something you think is essential to a successful narration career?
    1. I think a theatre background is an excellent addition to any performance-based career. You simply won’t get the same depth from acting into a vacuum all the time. Speaking into a microphone feels like that to me — we are our own directors, coaches, and engineers.
  4. What type of training have you undergone?
    1. I studied with Paul Meier, one of the top dialect coaches in the world. I have a BA in theatre from the University of Kansas. And I’m always taking acting classes. Any serious actor should never stop learning and coaching.
  5. How do you manage to avoid burn-out? What do you do to maintain your enthusiasm for narrating?
    1. Honestly, I get burned out vocally before mentally. I have to take breaks and rotate with other projects.
  6. Are you an audiobook listener? What about the audiobook format appeals to you?
    1. Absolutely. I have to drive a lot, so I cycle between about a dozen audiobooks and podcasts at any given time.

Giveaway

A Witch’s Concern Giveaway: $50 PayPal Cash

Apr. 5th:

Notes from ‘Round the Bend

Dab of Darkness Audiobook Reviews

Apr. 6th:

2 Girls and A Book

Apr. 7th:

Booktalk with Eileen

Loves Great Reads

The Reading Bud

Apr. 8th:

Jazzy Book Reviews

Lilly’s Book World

Book Addict

Turning Another Page

Apr. 9th:

Bookworms Corner Blog Spot

Audiobook Romance

T’s Stuff

Apr. 10th:

Chapter Break

The Bookworm Lodge

The Reading Bud

Apr. 11th:

The Book Addict’s Reviews

Blogger Nicole Reviews

Working Mommy Journal

Bound 4 Escape

➜Sign up as a host here

Audiobookworm Blog Tour: A Witch’s Path, Book 4 Read More »

Review: A Witch’s Concern (Witch for Hire #4) by N.E. Conneely

My Reviews


Absolute Power Might Not Corrupt Absolutely, But It Is Addictive!

A Witch’s Concern is #4 in the Witch for Hire Series by N.E. Conneely.

Jeff Hays and Laurie Catherine Winkel narrates.

This has multiple POVs, but it is a continuing story arc revolving around One Main Character! HFN endings with no BIG cliffhangers, but there ARE open issues.
I would advise to read these in order to get the most out of the experience.

Length: 7 hrs and 25 mins

Content Warning: Still PG in terms of steam.

 

 

♥ Story ♥

 

A lot of things were tied up in the Witch’s Path Box Set, but now the big picture issues are manifesting. Michelle and Elron can at least lean on each other for their PTSD issues. Plus, there is a wedding, eventually! The ebook counterpart is available through the Kindle Unlimited program.

 

“It’s a pleasure to have you here to witness the union between Nancy Gretchen Oaks, outcast, and Greg Patrick Nelson of the Docga. As the lot of you have had twenty years to protest this union, any complaints you have now should be kept to yourselves.”
— Nana

 

It is eluded that there may of been a small breather, but this starts out crazy and doesn’t let up. Sylvia’s warning of more demons to come was a serious one, but no one truly knows when or where. Varro’s knowledge and the Tree’s gift are not things to be ignored, but Michelle’s stubborn butt is determined to do so. I yelled at her so much during this book because she should know better by now! Seriously!

A lot of characters are total Twat Bags, but they made the loyal ones shine even more. Amber, Nana, and Elron are the best and need an award, or a cake!

 

Gretchen, This Throat Punch is for you!

 

Its all self fulfilling prophecies. They all bring it onto themselves, and most get their due. The ending opens up a whole new can of hot mess and that is not even including the impending Demon problem. I am sure there is more crazy to come in the future! My fingers crossed for a Michelle and Elron wedding, but I’m not holding my breathe.

 

Audio Sample

 

 

♥ Author ♥

 

N.E. Conneely Continues to fill in blanks, as she draws new ones.

 

WebsiteFacebookTwitterGoodreadsAudibleAmazonPinterestBooKBubItunesBarnes and Noble

 

 

♥ Narrator(s) ♥

 

Jeff Hays and Laurie Catherine Winkel narrate. This is a true Duet so all the characters are the same voice all the time no matter who’s POV the chapter is focused on. It’s the BEST way!

 

Jeff Hays continues to voice all the guys, Yay! He is still amazeballs, but he is getting a partner in crime this time around, and it is only getting better!

 

WebsiteFacebookTwitterYoutubeAudibleAmazonGoodReadsOverDriveEStoriesPlayster

 

 

Laurie Catherine Winkel does all the girls and perfectly complements Jeff. They make an awesome duet team!

 

WebsiteFacebookInstagramAudible AmazonGoodReadsOverDriveEStories

 

A Witch’s Concern

Witch for Hire Series

Written by N.E. Conneely

Read by Jeff Hays

And Laurie Catherine Winkel

Ebook obtained through Kindle Unlimited

Audiobook obtained at my request and I am voluntarily leaving this unbiased review

Review: A Witch’s Concern (Witch for Hire #4) by N.E. Conneely Read More »

Audiobookworm Blog Tour: A Witch’s Path Box Set, Book #3

Author: N.E. Conneely

Narrator: Jeff Hays, Soundbooth Theater

Series: A Witch’s Path, Book 3

Length: 7 hours 49 minutes

Publisher: N.E. Conneely

Released: Sep. 10, 2015

Genre: Paranormal, Supernatural

When Michelle pulls an old book out of a fire, she finds answers and heartbreak. The book confirms that a demon walks the land, though according to legend they were all dead. Now, she needs to rediscover the secrets to killing demons before her loved ones fall victim.

Elron’s budding relationship with Michelle suffers a blow when his mate returns. While he struggles with love and guilt, it becomes clear that not everyone gets their happily-ever-after.

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.

FacebookTwitterGoodreads
Narrator Bio

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.

WebsiteFacebookTwitterYoutube


To read my full review, Click Here

 

There is also a Read Along for this title.

To join in 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.

 

Book 1

Jan. 28th:

Dab of Darkness Audiobook Reviews

Jazzy Book Reviews

TheHufflepuffNerdette

T’s Stuff

Jan. 29th:

Bean’s Bookshelf and Coffee Break

Turning Another Page

Booktalk with Eileen

Jan. 30th:

Chapter Break

Bookworms Corner

Audiobook Romance

Jan. 31st:

Working Mommy Journal

Notes from ‘Round the Bend

Feb. 1st:

Lilly’s Book World

Two Girls and a Book

Feb. 2nd:

Bound 4 Escape

Holed Up In A Book

Feb. 3rd:

The Book Addict’s Reviews

Up ‘Til Dawn Book Blog

Book 2

Feb. 4th:

Bean’s Bookshelf and Coffee Break

Feb. 5th:

Dab of Darkness Audiobook Reviews

Turning Another Page

T’s Stuff

Feb. 6th:

Chapter Break

Bookworms Corner

Audiobook Romance

Feb. 7th:

Lilly’s Book World

Feb. 8th:

Working Mommy Journal

Jazzy Book Reviews

Booktalk with Eileen

Feb. 9th:

Bound 4 Escape

Holed Up In A Book

Feb. 10th:

The Book Addict’s Reviews

Two Girls and a Book

Book 3

Feb. 11th:

Dab of Darkness Audiobook Reviews

T’s Stuff

Feb. 12th:

Bean’s Bookshelf and Coffee Break

Turning Another Page

Feb. 13th:

Chapter Break

Audiobook Romance

Feb. 14th:

Bookworms Corner

Lilly’s Book World

Feb. 15th:

Working Mommy Journal

Booktalk with Eileen

Feb. 16th:

Bound 4 Escape

Jazzy Book Reviews

Holed Up In A Book

Feb. 17th:

The Book Addict’s Reviews

Two Girls and a Book

➜Sign up as a host here

Audiobookworm Blog Tour: A Witch’s Path Box Set, Book #3 Read More »

Review: A Witch’s Trial (Witch for Hire #3) by N. E. Conneely


My Reviews


Answers and Conclusions, Mostly!

A Witch’s Trial is the third title in the Witch for Hire Series by N.E. Conneely and the conclusion for the box set.

Jeff Hays narrates.

This has multiple POVs, but it is a continuing story arc revolving around One Main Character!
HFN endings with no cliffhangers.
I would advise to read these in order to get the most out of the experience.

Length: 7 hrs and 49 mins

Content Warning: Still PG in terms of steam.

♥ Story ♥

I listened to this as part of A Witch’s Path Box Set. It is also available as a single title as well. Both ebook counterparts are available through the Kindle Unlimited program.

This picks up with the last few paragraphs of the end of book #2 and the action is fairly non stop from then on out. We get answers but also more questions to carry forward into more books. The overall demon arc is addressed but the Witch Clans are still an open issue. I think the author originally intended this to be a trilogy, and I’m glad that proved to be a false idea!

“Those hags weren’t going away without a fight, though calling them hags might be a disservice to hags in general. Hags have better manners.”
— Michelle

We get to see a lot of characters in action and to let out their battle cry. Abilities and powers are revealed. The Gargoyles get to show off why they were created, and its pretty Awesome! The world building and mythology only gets better. I can see where the author as well as fans of the series would be reluctant to simply finish here. Glad to see it expand with new stories to come.

The emotions are high in this one! There were a few times I couldn’t even comment in my Read Along. If you are tender like me, there will be tears, but its bitter sweet tears. It is a satisfactory end to this box set, and I am definitely looking forward to more. Hopefully the next books in the series will make it to audio soon!

Audio Sample from Audible

♥ Author ♥

N.E. Conneely got me straight in the heart! This world is one I want more of! Spin-offs with some of the secondary characters would be lovely!

N.E. Conneely has 05 Audible Titles.

♥ Narrator(s) ♥

Jeff Hays continues to amazes me. I get completely lost in the story he is so good!

Jeff has 100 Audible Titles

A Witch’s Trial

Witch for Hire Series

Written by N.E. Conneely

Read by Jeff Hays

Ebook obtained through Kindle Unlimited

Audiobook obtained at my request and I am voluntarily leaving this unbiased review

Review: A Witch’s Trial (Witch for Hire #3) by N. E. Conneely Read More »

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

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.

FacebookTwitterGoodreads
Narrator Bio

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.

WebsiteFacebookTwitterYoutube


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

Jan. 28th:

Dab of Darkness Audiobook Reviews

Jazzy Book Reviews

TheHufflepuffNerdette

T’s Stuff

Jan. 29th:

Bean’s Bookshelf and Coffee Break

Turning Another Page

Booktalk with Eileen

Jan. 30th:

Chapter Break

Bookworms Corner

Audiobook Romance

Jan. 31st:

Working Mommy Journal

Notes from ‘Round the Bend

Feb. 1st:

Lilly’s Book World

Two Girls and a Book

Feb. 2nd:

Bound 4 Escape

Holed Up In A Book

Feb. 3rd:

The Book Addict’s Reviews

Up ‘Til Dawn Book Blog

Book 2

Feb. 4th:

Bean’s Bookshelf and Coffee Break

Feb. 5th:

Dab of Darkness Audiobook Reviews

Turning Another Page

T’s Stuff

Feb. 6th:

Chapter Break

Bookworms Corner

Audiobook Romance

Feb. 7th:

Lilly’s Book World

Feb. 8th:

Working Mommy Journal

Jazzy Book Reviews

Booktalk with Eileen

Feb. 9th:

Bound 4 Escape

Holed Up In A Book

Feb. 10th:

The Book Addict’s Reviews

Two Girls and a Book

Book 3

Feb. 11th:

Dab of Darkness Audiobook Reviews

T’s Stuff

Feb. 12th:

Bean’s Bookshelf and Coffee Break

Turning Another Page

Feb. 13th:

Chapter Break

Audiobook Romance

Feb. 14th:

Bookworms Corner

Lilly’s Book World

Feb. 15th:

Working Mommy Journal

Booktalk with Eileen

Feb. 16th:

Bound 4 Escape

Jazzy Book Reviews

Holed Up In A Book

Feb. 17th:

The Book Addict’s Reviews

Two Girls and a Book

➜Sign up as a host here

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

Scroll to Top