Review: Gull Harbor by Kathryn Knight

11 June 2018 17 June 2018 / Reviews / Kathryn Knight, Kristin James, Paranormal Romance / 3 Comments

More Than Your Average Paranormal Romance!

Gull Harbor is a standalone, by Kathryn Knight.

Kristin James narrates.

HEA, NO cliffhangers!

Length: 7 hrs and 46 mins

Content Warning: Sex, yes, but they get interrupted more than they get busy.
Mild violence and cursing.

This is more of a mystery than a romance. If you like ghost hunting shows, you are going to love this. It’s labeled as a standalone, but I wouldn’t mind hearing a story for Dan!

Claire ❤ Max

Claire Linden is a medium for hire. She talks to dead people, for reals! She was hired by the elderly Llewellyns to deal with an unpleasant presence in their home. I give Claire credit for putting up with the ghost’s down right mean deeds. And that was before she found out its age. Through a weird twist of fate she ends up in the same town of her MIA ex. I quite understand her moments of doubt.

Max Baron was the first person Claire helped. Well, it was his dad, technically. Max has never forgot about nor gotten over the love he had for Claire. He can’t believe she is back in his life and is determined to keep her safe if nothing else. The events of 5 years ago has left scars on both their hearts.

A lot of the story revolves around the the mystery of the haunting. I would of preferred more love story, but thats just me. The story was a page turner for sure, but all aspects were a bit too drawn out. On the love front of things, they obviously both never got over the other. Their mutual friend Dan picked up on it right away. (I hope that guy gets a story!) Fingers are pointed, but when it comes down to it, they both could of tried harder. The best stuff I can’t talk about without spoiling something, but I will say it’s worth the listen.

Audio Sample from Audible

This is my first listen by Kathryn Knight and I hope it won’t be my last. She writes great memorable characters that have you wanting more.

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Kristin James did an excellent job at all the characters. I was completely wrapped up in the story from start to finish.

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Normal speed was fine, however I listened at 0.90x. It is my personal preference.

Ebook obtained through the library (Overdrive).

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

Audiobookworm Blog Tour: Lake Lanier Mysteries Series, Books #02

18 May 2018 19 May 2018 / Audiobook Blog Tours / Audiobook Blog Tour Spotlight, Audiobook Blog Tours, Audiobook Tours, Audiobookworm, Audiobookworm Blog Tours, Paranormal Romance / 1 Comment

Author: Casi McLean

Narrators: Amy Deuchler

Length: 8 hours 10 minutes

**Series: Lake Lanier Mysteries, Book 2**

Publisher: The Wild Rose Press

Released: Mar. 26, 2017

Genre: Time Travel Romance

Piper Taylor concedes she’ll never fall in love, until a treacherous storm spirals her into the arms of the handsome Nick Cramer. Unrelenting remorse over a past relationship haunts Nick, but he can’t deny the mysterious connection and hot desire Piper evokes.

The allure of a secret portal hidden beneath Atlanta’s Lake Lanier tempts him into seizing the opportunity to change his mistakes. But his time slip triggers consequences beyond his wildest dreams.

Can Piper avoid the international espionage and terrorism of 2001 New York, find Nick, and bring him home before he alters the fabric of time, or will the lovers drift forever Beyond the Mist?

Award winning author, Casi McLean, pens novels to stir the soul with romance, suspense, and a sprinkle of magic. Her writing crosses genres from ethereal, captivating shorts with eerie twist endings to believable time slips, mystical plots, and sensual romantic suspense, like Beneath The Lake, WINNER: 2016 Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence for BEST Romantic Suspense.

Casi’s powerful memoir, Wingless Butterfly: Healing The Broken Child Within, shares an inspirational message of courage, tenacity, and hope, and displays her unique ability to excel in nonfiction and self-help as well as fiction. Known for enchanting stories with magical description, McLean entices readers in nonfiction as well with fascinating hooks to hold them captive in storylines they can’t put down.

Her romance entwines strong, believable heroines with delicious hot heroes to tempt the deepest desires then fans the flames, sweeping readers into their innermost romantic fantasies. Ms. McLean weaves exceptional romantic mystery with suspenseful settings and lovable characters you’ll devour. You’ll see, hear, and feel the magical eeriness of one fateful night. You’ll swear her time travel could happen, be mystified by her other worldly images, and feel heat of romantic suspense, but most of all you’ll want more.

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Amy is a Chicago-based voice artist and actor specializing in audiobook narration, e-learning, and radio or TV commercials. Amy is professionally trained in commercial and narration voiceover and holds a Bachelor’s degree in Theatre from Marquette University and a Master’s degree in Library and Information Science from University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. In her spare time, Amy also enjoys reading, painting, designing lights and scenery for theatre, and biking. She lives with her boyfriend and their two cats and a dog just north of Chicago.

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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 Amy Deuchler. The gifting of this audiobook did not affect my opinion of it.

How did you select your narrator? I compare the search to looking through a ton of oysters to find a pearl. I’m super picky about narrators. I want them to feel the passion and pain in my story and put emphisis where I have it in my mind. The narrator has to fit the tone of the book and know what makes the characters react the way they do. Not an easy task, but I know when I hear the clips.
Were there any real life inspirations behind your writing? All of my writing has a piece of me written between the lines, especially my Lake Lanier Mysteries Series. The first time I heard the eerie lore, strange occurances and supernatural sitings, my muse danced. The tales told me what to write, and the pages flowed like water. Now that I live on the lake, I’m inspired every day.
Are you an audiobook listener? What about the audiobook format appeals to you? I don’t know what I’d do without audiiobooks. After a long day of sitting at my computer, reading, writing, research, promo, and marketing, my eyes blur. I love to read, but my eyes just say enough is enough. Audiobooks take me into the stories I love, while my eyes rest. I listen in my car, shopping, walking, or sitting on my porch. Anytime I need a break I have my stories. I love audiobooks!
Is there a particular part of this story that you feel is more resonating in the audiobook performance than in the book format? Amy nails the tense moments. She reads with the passion and intensity that those scenes need and makes the words jump off the pages with emotion. People can’t always read what the author feels but a good narrator helps translate those feelings.
If you had the power to time travel, would you use it? If yes, when and where would you go? Obviously, as a romantic suspense time travel author, I love the concept! I would use the power in a heartbeat. I’m not sure what I’d choose as my first destination…and yet, in a sense, I’ve already experienced a time slip with each of my novels. I hope everyone feels that way when they listen to or read my books…after all, that’s the point.
In your opinion, what are the pros and cons of writing a stand-alone novel vs. writing a series? I love a series. They give me a chance to revisit characters and places I already love and, as an author, a series reconnects me to readers who loved my stories. A stand-alone is easier. One and done. In a series, you have to find a way to bring your readers up to speed without dumping too much backstory on them. But a series, to me, is more rewarding. I try to make all of my series stories stand-alone, but I make sure some of the previous characters visit in smaller roles.
What’s your favorite:
1. Food: Lobster
2. Song: Everlasting Love
3. Book: Knight In Shining Armor by Jude Deveraux
4. Television: show Outlander
5. Movie: Déjà Vu
6. Band: Anything Motown
7. Sports: team Atlanta Braves [pro] Georgia Bulldogs [college]
8. City: Ashville N.C. or Charleston S.C.
Are any of those things referenced in appearance in your work? I was inspired by Outlander and Déjà Vu but they aren’t refrenced in my writing.
What bits of advice would you give to aspiring authors? Learn from those who have walked the path before you, and never give up on your dreams.
What’s next for you? My current WIP is a romantic political thriller, Reign Of Fire, which is the first in my Deep State Mysteries series, and I’m also working on a new supernatural romance series, Ghosts Of Lake Lanier.

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Review: Beyond the Mist (Lake Lanier Mysteries #2) by Casi McLean

18 May 2018 19 May 2018 / Reviews, Series / Amy Deuchler, Casi McLean, Lake Lanier Mysteries Series, Paranormal Romance / 1 Comment

What A Ride!

Beyond the Mist is #02 in the Lake Lanier Mysteries Series by Casi McLean.

Amy Deuchler narrates.

HEA with No cliffhangers! (+ Bonus, see review for more details!)

I HIGHLY suggest reading them in order to get the best experience. These are too connected.

Length: 8 hours 10 minutes

Content Advisory:
There is mild sexplay.
This involves the events of 9/11 up close and personal, and may be upsetting to some.

This story picks up right at the ending of the first. I really hope you’ve read or listened to the first one, because you won’t be lost so much as behind. You are thrust into the thick of things really quickly and the ride never stops or pauses. It’s great, but more meaningful to those that are up to speed already. And to those that think they know whats going on because of past experience, I say to you, that was only the ground work and you will still have so much to learn.

Nick Cramer and Piper Taylor shared charged moments together on the night of the big storm that was at the center of book one. They have an undeniable chemistry despite their shared opinions on falling in love. They are mystically drawn to one another, even through time.

Nick gets caught up in his past to the point he jeopardizes his future, and everyone else’s as well. I really wish I could say more because this is so good, but it would be easy to spoil something. It is an intense roller coaster ride that had my stomach in my throat in anticipation of the outcome. It ended a bit too fast, but the little nugget left in the last few words says there is a method to that madness.

Audio Sample

Casi McLean is an author I can count on to take me on a fun but untimaely loving ride! I look forward to next one.

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Amy Deuchler was excellent with all character types. Her performance alowd me to get lost in the adventure!.

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Normal speed was fine.

Ebook obtained through my local library (Overdrive).

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

Review: The RED Wolf (Werewolves On HEAT #02) by Ellie Valentina

15 April 2018 15 April 2018 / Reviews, Series / Ellie Valentina, Kindle Unlimited, Meghan Kelly, Paranormal Romance, Read Free, Series, Shifters, Werewolves On Heat Series

Heat, Heart, And Secrets!

The RED Wolf is #02 of 03 in Werewolves On Heat Series by Ellie Valentina.

Meghan Kelly narrates the series.

HEA with No cliffhangers!

These are all in the same world, however I have yet to find any other connections. As of now, reading them as standalones should be OK.

Length: 4 hrs and 47 mins

Content Advisory:
There is sex, so if that bothers you then you should avoid.

Ebook currently free with Kindle Unlimited

Kindle Ebook Sample

♥ Story ♥

I was not able to find any direct character, location, or group connections between books one and two. If anyone has other info on that, please let me know. Both have werewolves as well as the heroine having majorly F*d up family situations. Josephine’s family life is not as heart breaking as Ava’s, but just as suspenseful.

Josephine ❤ Edward

Josephine Lancaster had a one night stand at her BFF’s wedding that left behind a gift of its own. Before she could process that fact, her father let drop his plans to be marry her to his much older business partner for better financial gain. Horrified, Josie ran and ended up getting a job with the last person she could of imagined, the father of her baby. Despite her bravery in avoiding a sham of a marriage, she turns into a big chicken when it comes to telling her baby-daddy the truth.

Edward Jake Hunter has secrets and trust issues of his own. After being used and manipulated for his gifts in the past, he is suspicious of most. Jake owns a construction business and is in desperate need of a new assistant, and is shocked to find the beautiful wedding fling as a potential hire. He wants her as much as before, but has reservations. Being the most qualified, he has no choice but to hire her. He knows she is hiding something, but is hoping its not as sinister as past experiences.

One might think they know how this is going to play out, but you would be wrong. The RED Wolf is so much more. There are several twist you won’t see coming. The secrets flow out at the speed of molasses, which can be a bit frustrating. It pays off if you can hold on and you will be left on the edge of your seat in the interim. There is heat and heart, and you won’t be disappointed. I was hoping for a side character to be the focus of the third book, but sadly, I don’t think that is the case. Maybe one will show up in a future book or spin-off series. Fingers crossed! 🤞

Audible Audio Sample

♥ Author ♥

Ellie Valentina writes some hot shifter stories. Hoping for more from this world. Lots of secondary characters to explore!

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♥ Narrator ♥

Meghan Kelly brings the drama and the love with her performance. She will also be narrating the next one too.

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♥ Audio Production ♥

Normal speed was fine, but I found slightly slower sounded best. I listened at 0.95 speed. Don’t be afraid to experiment.

The RED Wolf

Werewolves On Heat Series

Written by Ellie Valentina

Read by Meghan Kelly

Ebook obtained through Kindle Unlimited.

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

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

9 April 2018 14 May 2018 / Audiobook Blog Tours / Audiobook Blog Tour Spotlight, Audiobook Blog Tours, Audiobook Tours, Audiobooks, Audiobookworm, Jeff Hays, Kindle Unlimited, Laurie Catherine Winkel, N.E. Conneely, Paranormal Romance, Read Free, Witch for Hire Series / 1 Comment

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.

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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.

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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.

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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

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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.