The Anna Blanc Mysteries book 1 by Jennifer Kincheloe

Author: Jennifer Kincheloe

Narrator: Moira Quirk

Length: 12 hours 45 minutes

Series: Anna Blanc Mysteries, Book 1

Released: Nov. 14, 2016

Publisher: Jennifer Kincheloe

Genre: Historical Fiction Mystery

It's 1907 Los Angeles. Mischievous socialite Anna Blanc is the kind of young woman who devours purloined crime novels, but must disguise them behind covers of more domestically-appropriate reading. She could match wits with Sherlock Holmes, but in her world women are not allowed to hunt criminals. Determined to break free of the era's rigid social roles, Anna buys off the chaperone assigned by her domineering father and, using an alias, takes a job as a police matron with the Los Angeles Police Department. There she discovers a string of brothel murders, which the cops are unwilling to investigate. Seizing her one chance to solve a crime, she takes on the investigation herself. If the police find out, she'll get fired; if her father finds out, he'll disown her; and if her fiancé finds out, he'll cancel the wedding. Midway into her investigation, the police chief's son, Joe Singer, learns her true identity, and shortly thereafter she learns about blackmail. Anna must choose - either hunt the villain and risk losing her father, fiancé, and wealth, or abandon her dream and leave the killer on the loose.

Jennifer has been a block layer, a nurse's aid, a fragrance model, and on the research faculty at UCLA, where she spent 11 years conducting studies to inform health policy. A native of Southern California, she now lives in Denver, Colorado with her husband and two teenagers. She's currently writing book three in the Anna Blanc Mystery series. Book two, THE WOMAN IN THE CAMPHOR TRUNK, is coming out in Fall of 2017 from Seventh Street Books.

Website⎮Facebook⎮Twitter⎮Goodreads⎮Pinterest

Moira grew up in teeny-tiny Rutland, England’s smallest county, which is fitting as she never managed to make it past five feet herself. Moira’s work spans the pantheon of the voiceover world: plays for BBC radio, plays for NPR, video games, commercials, television promos, podcasts, cartoons, movies and award winning audiobooks. She's won Multiple Audie Awards, Earphone Awards, as well as Audible's prestigious Book-of-the-Year Award. She has lately set foot in front of the camera again, appearing in “Pretty: the Series” and the Emmy-winning “Dirty Work.”

Website⎮Facebook⎮Twitter

Q&A with Author Jennifer Kincheloe

• How did you select your narrator? 
  • An Anna Blanc fan who is also a fan of Moira’s knew I was auditioning narrators because I posted it on Twitter. She tweeted me and said, “You need to hire Moira Quirk.” So, I checked Moira out. While I loved her work, I initially dismissed the idea because Moira is English and Anna Blanc is American. I didn’t yet realize that Moira can do anything. She’s won a million awards. Anyway, the book is hard to narrate because you have to get the delicate mix of humor and darkness right. I auditioned some 30 narrators, and they had many strengths, but no one had everything I wanted. I finally approached Moira and asked, “Can you do an American accent?” Her audition was perfect.
• 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? 
  • Moira instinctively gets Anna. Also, she’s a perfectionist and committed to excellence. I like her artistic choices. She might ask how to pronounce a word, but she doesn’t need me at all.
• Were there any real life inspirations behind your writing? 
  • Yes. I got my storylines straight from the 1900s newspapers. A 19-year-old white missionary woman was found dead and stuffed in the trunk in her Chinese American lover’s apartment in New York’s Chinatown. I moved the story to Los Angeles, but lots of things are the same, right down to tiny details. After you’ve listened to the audiobook, Google Elsie Sigel and Leon Ling. The B plot in the novel is about two singsong girls--Chinese sex slaves--who were stolen away from their “owner,” a tong president. It almost led to a gang war. The LAPD were hunting the singsong girls to give them back to their “owner” so the LAPD could collect a $1,000 reward and avert violence.
• Are you an audiobook listener? What about the audiobook format appeals to you? 
  • I LOVE audiobooks. I listen to 20 audiobooks for every one paper book I read. The narrator is everything to me, which is why I’m so thrilled with Moira Quirk.
• If you had the power to time travel, would you use it? If yes, when and where would you go? 
  • Definitely 1900s Los Angeles! I’d go everywhere that Anna would go--fancy hotels, cheap brothels, Joe Singer’s apartment.
• What do you say to those who view listening to audiobooks as “cheating” or as inferior to “real reading”?
  • Nonsense.
• How did you celebrate after finishing this novel? 
  • I need to work on that celebration thing.
• In your opinion, what are the pros and cons of writing a stand-alone novel vs. writing a series? 
  • I liken it to a movie vs. a TV series. You simply have more time to develop the characters. You know them so well.You also have the challenge of making them grow or change in every book. Sustaining the romance is a trick, but I love how Elizabeth Peters did it in the Amelia Peabody series. It never got old. The audiobooks of that series are seriously the best I’ve ever heard (after Moira). They relate the adventures of a woman Egyptologist in the late 19th and early 20th century. Start with CROCODILE ON THE SANDBANK. You’ll thank me.
• What bits of advice would you give to aspiring authors?
  • Write for yourself. Not for money, critics, or glory. Only write for yourself.
  

  Giveaway: $25 Amazon Gift Card

  The Anna Blanc Mysteries Giveaway: $25 Amazon Gift Card
  
  
  
  
  

  View the full 21-day schedule here!

  
  Plugging you into the audio community since 2016.
  
  

  Sign up as a tour host here.

The Delarosa Series book 2 by David Stever

Author: David Stever

Narrator: Bill Lord

Length: 7 hours 5 minutes

Series: The Delarosa Series, Book 2

Publisher: Cinder Path Press, LLC

Released: Dec. 23, 2019

Genre: Modern Detective

Infidelity pays the bills, so says a wise old private eye. But for PI Johnny Delarosa, his routine cheating spouse case turns into a tangled mess when his client, Mary Ann Bellamy, is run off the road and left for dead. Her husband, the owner of a cutting-edge aerospace technology firm, puts his career and marriage at risk by having an affair with his senior executive, the sexy, enigmatic Keira Kaine—the most brutal femme fatale to ever travel the pages of crime fiction. When a whistle blower appears, along with the FBI, Russian mobsters, and an eccentric computer hacker, the case weaves through a maze of surprises that lead to a violent and stunning climax. Delarosa, along with his assistant, Katie, and partner, Mike, must learn who he can trust before the case turns into a homicide—his own.

David Stever is a novelist, screenwriter, and film producer. He writes the Johnny Delarosa mystery-thriller series, debuting with, AUBURN RIDE, paying homage to the great detective fiction of the past. The series has been called "noir for the 21st Century." Fans of hard-boiled, crime thriller books, complete with sexy femme fatales, will love the Delarosa series.

He is a member of the Private Eye Writers of America, the International Thriller Writers, and the Maryland Writers Association. Originally from Tyrone, Pennsylvania, he lives in Columbia, Maryland with his wife and family. Please visit www.davidstever.com and be sure to sign the mailing list for news and updates!

Website⎮Twitter⎮Facebook

Bill Lord has been an entertainer since 1983 when he began a nearly 20-year career as a professional wiseguy on rock and pop radio. After radio, his love of storytelling drew him into the world of acting and audiobook narration. It was a transition that began his exploration of connecting with an author's truth on a deeply emotional level, while bringing each of their character's reality to life with an authentic voice.

When Bill narrates a story, he transforms the written word into a multidimensional aural experience that makes you lose all sense of time and what is going on around you. He transports the listener to faraway realms or perhaps across the galaxy, until the world around you is supplanted by the flickering movie screen of your own imagination.

In addition to reading books for major publishers, and indie authors and publishers, Bill is a former coach of Edge Studio's Investigate Voiceover classes in Washington, D.C., and an occasional cast member with The Lake of the Woods Players. When he’s not on stage or in the booth narrating, you can find cruising the lake on his pontoon boat (in Orange County, VA) while enjoying a Manhattan with his beautiful wife, Joya.

Bill Lord is an Audible Approved Producer. Visit Nothing Rhymes with Orange Studio’s website for more information.

Website⎮Facebook

Q&A with Narrator Bill Lord

• When did you know you wanted to be an audiobook narrator?
  • In 2013, I started working with 2 Audie-winning narrators and coaches, Carol Monda and Johnny Heller. When I started mastering the acting skills they were teaching me, and discovered that people and places could be lifted off the page and brought to life - that was magic to me. To read a manuscript and watch someone become truly engaged in the story made me realize that I could be an effective storyteller.

• A lot of narrators seem to have a background in theatre. Is that something you think is essential to a successful narration career?
  • Without question, this is an acting gig. To bring an author’s words to life the narrator has to develop a deeply emotional relationship with the characters. It’s the only way to tell a story well. Does that mean one has to have a theater background. No...but it helps. My theater experience is limited, but I take acting lessons and work with audiobook coaches who have helped me develop the skills necessary to tell a story well.

• How do you manage to avoid burn-out? What do you do to maintain your enthusiasm for narrating?
  • This is an easy question. Choosing novels that touch, or excite me in some way keeps me motivated. When I truly enjoy the story, there’s never burn-out. The only time I’ve felt any kind of pressure is when I’ve overbooked the calendar and have to work fast to make a deadline. But, even then, I just hire additional help with research, proofing, editing, and mastering so I can maintain focus on telling the story.

• Are you an audiobook listener? What about the audiobook format appeals to you? 
  • I listen to a lot of audiobooks. When I read a physical book, it’s too easy for my mind to wander and I find myself having to reread some sections. When I listen to a really good narrator, I’m much more engaged. I get drawn into the story and see the surroundings, smell the smells, and feel the emotional tension and subsequent resolution between the characters. My mind and imagination become the flickering screen in a movie theater where I visualize and feel everything.

• 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’m not afraid of any particular genre. I’ll even narrate romance and erotica as long as the story doesn’t cross certain lines like rape and incest. But, I did turn down a title for a publisher one time (which was very hard to do as it was my first offer from them). It was letters from John F. Kennedy. I lived in Massachusetts for a number of years and know the accent well. I can perform it well, but not to the point of sustaining that accent for an entire book. I felt that if I did JFK as a caricature, rather than authentically, it would have been cheating the listener.

• What about this title compelled you to audition as narrator?
  • I loved David Stever’s writing! At times it’s really clever and funny. And, the action and his characters are very real. He writes so descriptively, it’s almost like reading a screenplay.
• How did you decide how each character should sound in this title?
  • I pay close attention to the author’s character descriptions...how they walk, dress, and laugh, for example. I look for clues about their attitude, and their wants, needs, and desires.Then, I think about who I know or have seen on television or in the movies who matches that character and “cast” them in my mind.

• Have there been any characters that you really connected with?
  • I actually connect with Johnny Delarosa in David Stever’s Johnny Delarosa Thriller Series! He’s got that bad-boy 1950s hard-boiled detective kind of attitude, but he’s a very modern-day kind of guy. He drives a Z4, carries a Beretta, enjoys good wine and top-shelf Bourbon, and trusts nothing except his own 6th sense. We’re a lot alike...except I drive a pickup.

• If you had the power to time travel, would you use it? If yes, when and where would you go? 
  • (In my best Sam Elliott voice): I think I’d go back to the Wild West, get me an Appaloosa to ride, and strap on a 6-shooter. After a few nights of playing poker in the saloon, I’d invent indoor plumbing, refrigeration, and air conditioning. Heck, I'd be rich enough to buy the Ponderosa.

• If you could narrate one book from your youth what would it be and why? 
  • The Outsiders. conflict between the Socs and Greasers was something I was seeing and experiencing as an adolescent living in Detroit. Regardless of which side of the tracks you were from, S.E. Hinton gave ever character humanity. I touched me and taught me that every human being deserves love and respect. It really touched me.

• What do you say to those who view listening to audiobooks as “cheating” or as inferior to “real reading”?
  • The Journal of Neuroscience recently published research conducted at UC Berkeley. Without getting too deep into the science, they scanned the brains of nine participants while they read and listened to a series of tales from “The Moth Radio Hour.” After analyzing brain scans and data analysis, the researchers saw that the stories stimulated the same cognitive and emotional areas, regardless of their medium. It’s adding to our understanding of how our brains give semantic meaning to the squiggly letters and bursts of sound that make up our communication.

• Bonus question: Any funny anecdotes from inside the recording studio?
  • I was in the middle of a scene where some bikers had left a bar. As they hopped on their motorcycles and turned the keys, I actually heard those bikes came to life in my headphones! It turns out that my cat, Tigger, had silently slid into the studio, curled up behind my chair, and started to purr rather loudly at that exact moment. In the quiet isolation of the recording booth, it sounded 10 times louder than it really was and scared the bejesus out of me!

Johnny Delarosa: Served twenty years as a cop then as a detective on the Port City Police Department. Now on his own for six years as a private detective. Forty-eight years old, 6’1”, 185 lbs., thick close-cropped black hair with some grey sneaking in. Is co-owner of McNally’s Irish Pub and runs his private eye business from the back booth in the bar. He and Mike McNally were detective partners on the force. He worked vice and homicide as a detective and has seen it all. Johnny is tough but has a laid-back personality, is Italian-American and grew up in the Little Italy section of Port City. Was married to Kelly but she couldn’t handle the police lifestyle. Johnny never remarried after the divorce. He owns a condo on the fourth floor above McNally’s plus took ownership in a beach cottage on Crescent Beach as part of the divorce settlement with Kelly. He bought half of McNally’s when Mike needed money to pay for his own divorce.

Johnny has a great appreciation for Italian food, wine, jazz, classic rock, the great American songbook, and never met a bourbon he didn’t like. He stays on the politically incorrect side of life and admittedly drinks way too much. He has a lady friend, Leah Love, who he is committed to, but they have an arrangement that neither wants to be serious just yet. He claims he fell in love with her the day he arrested her.

Mike McNally: Fifty-two years old, former cop and detective on the Port City police force and former partner of Johnny Delarosa. Tough, tall, no-nonsense, red-haired, barrel-chested Irishman. Was a standout football player in high school, spent about ten minutes in college before joining the police force. He bought McNally’s after he retired and then sold half the business to Johnny to help pay for his divorce. Mainly runs the bar; but helps Johnny with PI cases. Loyal to the core, nothing will come between him and his partner, Johnny.

Katie Pitts: Tall, blonde, attractive, beach volleyball type. Twenty-four years old, met Johnny when he rescued her from a kidnapping. Enamored with Johnny and fascinated with being a private detective, she approached Johnny and asked for a job. He and Mike reluctantly hired her to help in the bar and also to help do research on PI cases. She comes from an affluent family in Port City, went to Florida State University. She is eager to learn, but young and naïve at the same time. She provides a lot of comic relief with her antics. She is always trying to improve the menu and drinks at the bar over Mike’s protests. While she was probably hired because of the way she looks, both Johnny and Mike are now protective of her and look at her as a daughter.

View the full 14-day schedule here!

Plugging you into the audio community since 2016.

Sign up as a tour host here.

The Heart of Space by Cendrine Marrouat

The Heart of Space 

by Cendrine Marrouat 

Genre: Poetry 

"The Heart of Space" is a collection of 38 pieces that delve into several major topics, including solitude, the importance of embracing pain, and the lessons one can learn from self-discovery.

"Every single poem is utterly endearing, imbued with a careful sense of introspection, philosophical musings and above all a genuine feeling of hope that, no matter what happens to us in our lives, in the end things will turn out all right." - David Ellis, Author of "See A Dream Within: Found "Poe"try Based On The Collected Poetry Works Of Edgar Allan Poe" 

Add to Goodreads

Amazon * B&N * Kobo * Website

Thank you for your interest in my work! 

My name is Cendrine Marrouat. (It is pronounced as “san-drEEn mar-wah”. The “t” at the end is optional.) Originally from Toulouse, France, I moved to Winnipeg, Canada, in 2003. I am a dual citizen. 

I am a photographer, specializing in nature, black-and-white and closeup images. My photography seeks the mundane to capture the fleeting, but true beauty of life in its many forms. 

I approach photography in the same way as I write poetry. It's not about the tools. It's about the moment when my eyes catch a story that needs to be told. What happens next, is a spiritual yearning to describe the scene with my camera. However, it is during the editing process that my poetic background comes into play. Every photo must achieve two goals: simplicity and serenity. I use the pure black and white format to convey timelessness. Occasional tinges of sepia are for added depth. Finally, colors stand for romanticism. 

For more about the author, click here: https://www.cendrinemedia.com/About-Cendrine-Marrouat

Website * Facebook * Twitter * Instagram * YouTube * Bookbub * Amazon * Goodreads

Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Flying Woman by Daniel Sherrier

The Flying Woman 

Terrific Book 1 

by Daniel Sherrier 

Genre: Superhero Fantasy

The impossible has become reality! A masked man possesses extraordinary powers, and he’s using those fantastic abilities to fight crime and pursue justice. Meanwhile, Miranda Thomas expects to fail at the only thing she ever wanted to do: become a famous star of the stage and screen. One night, Miranda encounters a woman who’s more than human. But this powerful woman is dying, fatally wounded by an unknown assailant. Miranda’s next decision propels her life in a new direction—and nothing can prepare her for how she, and the world, will change. 

Add to Goodreads

Amazon * B&N * Books-A-Million * IndieBound

Daniel Sherrier is a writer based in central Virginia. He is the author of the novel "The Flying Woman." A College of William & Mary graduate, he has worked for community newspapers, written a few plays that have been performed, and earned his black belt in Thai kickboxing. And there was that one time he jumped out of an airplane, which was memorable. 

Website * Facebook * Twitter * Instagram * Amazon * Goodreads

$25 Amazon gift card 

Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Passarinho and the Highlander by Fran Connor

Passarinho and the Highlander: 

Adventures in Love and War 

by Fran Connor 

Genre: Historical Romantic Adventure

A privileged young woman in 1730s Boston sets out on an adventure to rescue her father from a debtor’s prison in Jamaica. A dashing Scottish soldier offers to help her in return for her help in exposing a traitor.

Shipwreck, spies, murder, war and a rival for the Highlander’s affections combine to thwart her mission.

She finds the darker side of life in the Caribbean is a far cry from her sheltered upbringing. To survive and succeed in her rescue she must adapt and, on the way, she discovers a secret about herself that could have disastrous consequences for her future.

Buy or download now through Kindle Unlimited and enjoy this gripping Romantic Adventure with a flawed heroine. 

Goodreads * Amazon

I live in SW France for the lifestyle after a career in a UK Police Force. I have six published novels, three more in the pipeline and six plays that have been produced on stage. My screenplays portfolio contains seven feature length scripts with one about to go into production. 

I write mainly Historical Fiction but I do other genres too. I don't do cop stories, I had enough of the real thing. 

Website * Facebook * Twitter * Bookbub * Amazon * Goodreads

$50 Amazon gift card 

Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Feisty by Julia Kent blitz

Feisty
Julia Kent
(Do-Over Series, #3)
Publication date: January 28th 2020
Genres: Adult, Comedy, Romance

I’m not too proud to admit that finding Mr. Right involves swiping right. Right? Welcome to dating in avocado toastland.

Here I am, on my first blind date, ever, courtesy of a smartphone app and my two annoying best friends.

So what is Chris “Fletch” Fletcher doing, walking across the room, looking at his phone like he’s pattern matching a picture to find a real person he’s never met before?

Oh.

Oh, no.

The guy I drop-kicked in seventh grade cannot be my blind date. The guy who earned me this infernal nickname.

That’s right.

Feisty.

—



More from New York Times bestselling author Julia Kent as Fiona “Feisty” Gaskill gets her chance at love – drop-kick included.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo / Google Play

—

EXCERPT:

“Fletch?” I gasp as Perky smiles and walks away, abandoning me in my time of need.

“Hey, Fiona. What’re you doing here?” He looks down at my drink. “Nice penis.”

“Excuse me?”

He points to my chai latte. “Perky did a good job. I was in here last week and she made some beautiful flower patterns on my latte.” He frowns, then his eyebrows shoot up. “Hold on. Those weren’t flowers, were they?”

I laugh.

“Wow. And they seemed so… detailed. And gorgeous.”

My sides are splitting.

“Please… stop… flowers…” I gasp.

“That latte did give me a sudden desire to go to a Georgia O’Keeffe show, though.”

I rush to take a sip of my chai latte and make the penis go away. Fletch watches me, mouth spreading into a wider grin, his green eyes shining as he crosses his arms over his chest.

It’s only then that I realize he’s wearing real clothes. A crisp, light purple dress shirt, open at the neck, tucked into khahis. He has actual leather shoes – and not for weight lifting or cross-training – on his feet. His hair is styled but not sticky, and he has a close, clean shave.

His aftershave is divine.

“You’re not in workout gear. Or a paramedic’s uniform,” I say as I blot the foam on the tip of my nose, wondering if it’s ruined my makeup.

“And you look lovely tonight. A little overdressed for a Beanerino latte with Perky,” he says, waving to her from across the room as she swings a hand towel in the air like she’s a date-night air traffic controller.

“I have a date.”

“So do I.”

“You don’t have a man bun, do you?”

He looks down at his crotch. “Is that like camel toe for guys?”

Author Bio:

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Julia Kent writes romantic comedy with an edge. Since 2013, she has sold more than 2 million books, with 4 New York Times bestsellers and more than 19 appearances on the USA Today bestseller list. Her books have been translated into French and German, with more titles releasing in 2020 and beyond.

From billionaires to BBWs to new adult rock stars, Julia finds a sensual, goofy joy in every contemporary romance she writes. Unlike Shannon from Shopping for a Billionaire, she did not meet her husband after dropping her phone in a men's room toilet (and he isn't a billionaire she met in a romantic comedy).

She lives in New England with her husband and three children where she is the only person in the household with the gene required to change empty toilet paper rolls.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Instagram / Twitter / Bookbub / Amazon / Newsletter

GIVEAWAY!

a Rafflecopter giveaway