Thursday, January 28, 2016

The Importance of a Good Narrator


Whenever I go out of town, I always get an audio book for the road. Nothing passes the time better than falling into a story as the monotonous terrain whizzes by.

Here's the thing...I have heard some books that would be great.  But the actor who does the voice over work just doesn't get it right and the book is essentially ruined.

There are also some favorites of mine.  I mean, who can resist Zachary Webber and his velvety voice?  Recently, he did the voice of Christian Grey in E.L. James' "Grey" and I was a happy camper!

But it goes beyond a good voice.  Inflection, tone and the ability to change characters voices are all just as important.

I was wildly impressed with the voice I listened to the other day and I think she's the epitome of what happens when voice work is done right.

I was on my way to Holidays with the Belles and listening to "Not Yet" by Laura Ward.  It was narrated by Lisa Zimmerman.

The book itself is a really nice story.  One of the things that stands out about Ms. Ward's writing is that it is very important to her to always have a character who has special needs.  In "Not Yet" that includes a character who has Down Syndrome.

Here's the thing, when a narrator has to use an accent, especially an accent that is for one character only, it can go terribly, terribly wrong. And in this case, if the narrator wasn't careful, it would have bordered on disrespectful as well.

Fortunately for us, Ms. Zimmerman nailed it.

I actually rewound by about thirty seconds when this character showed up because I was so blown away by how Ms. Zimmerman portrayed her.  She added an aspect of realism that a lesser actor would not have been able to do.  It was wonderful.

I spoke with Ms. Ward about this at HWTB and told her how very impressed I was with the Audible.  She informed me that she and Ms. Zimmerman had numerous conversations about this particular character and really worked hard to be true to the character in the best way possible.  

Well it showed.

If only all authors were as nitpicky as Ms. Ward was.  Far too many books have been ruined by a bad narrator.

I hope you'll give "Not Yet" a chance on Audible.  Get it by clicking here.  This is a perfect example of how the perfect voice can take a good book and make it something excellent.

Tuesday, January 26, 2016

This Book Will Give You the "Blues" In Such a Good Way


I can’t function.

Why?

Because I am ruined.

Not since Mia Asher’s “Arsen” have I felt so much anxiety over a book.  (I had to relegate it to a “treadmill only” book so I could distance myself a little in the regular world). Not since Tarryn Fisher’s “The Opportunist” have I equally loved and hated a book.

But this time…Oh this time I’m feeling all the feels.

In “Winter Blues” Jade Goodson explores a marriage that is falling apart due to lack of time, lack of priority and everyday stressors that every marriage faces.  But that’s just the beginning.

In the middle of it all, she just guts you.  Rude.

And brilliant.

And just because you think you know how the story is going to play out, let me assure you, you have absolutely no idea what these people are going to do.

Every single one of these characters frustrated the snot out of me.  And every single one of them warmed my heart. 

And yet, somehow, I still left the book in tears, wanting to throw my kindle while hugging it to my chest.

This book is a little bit older.  It was released in 2013.  But it is the first book I've read this year that I am marking as a “Top Read”. 

Snatch it up by clicking here.

You are going to love me and hate me when you do.


Friday, January 22, 2016

Penny Reid is a "Ninja" of an Author


I've gushed over Penny Reid and her writing before, so I'll save you the trouble of repeating myself.  What I will say again though, is if you haven't read her writing, you need to start.  

However, if you decide to start with "Happily Ever Ninja", the latest installment in the Knitting in the City series, be forewarned...this one is, well, odd.

I know that sounds like a negative thing, but it's really not.  Penny herself says this book is a little different than the others.  And it is.  It really, really is.

But Penny pulls it off like only Penny can.  

I think it's because Penny is smart.  Like super smart.  She's a biomedical researcher in "real" life and is the boss of a bunch of other biomedical researchers.  That kind of smart.  So Penny can pull off scenarios that could end up sounding ridiculous by a less experienced author.  And she can pull it off well.  

Please don't misunderstand...this book is far from ridiculous.  It's funny, it's charming, the pace is wonderful.  At it's core, it's about the struggles and trials any couple goes through after many years of marriage.  Greg and Fiona Archer just happen to have odd jobs. 

You'll see what I mean when you grab it by clicking here.

Embrace the odd.  You won't be disappointed.

Tuesday, January 19, 2016

I Never Never Thought it Would Finally Be Here!


It's here!  It's here!

After MONTHS of torture and waiting to find out how it all ends, the conclusion to the Never Never series by Colleen Hoover and Tarryn Fisher has finally arrived!

In it, you will find out answers to questions like:

1)  How did their relationship go downhill in the first place?
2)  Who is "The Shrimp" really?
3)  and....WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON???

This is the conclusion you've been waiting for.

And if you haven't read the series yet because you were waiting until they were all released, I applaud your patience.  Your time has finally come!

Never Never Part One ----->  http://amzn.to/1PC6uMb
Never Never Part Two ----->  http://amzn.to/1ZIhvq0
Never Never Part Three -----> http://amzn.to/1OEjot5

Friday, January 15, 2016

Rachel Schneider is Taking Hers With Her Debut Novel


The thing about self publishing these days is that everything has been done, ya know?  There's not a storyline or scenario that is 100% unique.  I mean, come on.  There is an entire genre dedicated to gay dinosaur erotica.

Yes, we've officially hit the bottom.

But every once in a while, you run into a storyline that is unique to anything you've ever read before. I did just that the other day when I read "Taking Mine" by Rachel Schneider.

"Taking Mine" is about a girl who steals cars and sells them to a friend's chop shop.  She's not just a hoodlum.  She's trying to make ends meet when her grades in college slip and she looses part of her scholarship.  Add to it a hot guy/love interest, and you've got yourself a story!   But there's so much more to it than that.

It's a romance, which you wouldn't necessarily expect.  But there is also an element of mystery and suspense.  Not so much that it changes the genre.  But enough to keep you on your toes.

And just when you think this is a fun little book that keeps you entertained -- BAM!  It's takes a twist you didn't expect and you're sucked in all over again.

Ms. Schneider did a fantastic job on this debut novel and I'm looking forward to seeing what else she has to offer us in the future.

Pick this one up by clicking here.

Tuesday, January 12, 2016

Behind the Scenes: The Bookworm Box

I love volunteering places.  Whether it be at the school or a pediatric oncology camp or swim team, I love the feeling of making a difference. It's been sort of a bucket list item to attend a packing party at The Bookworm Box.  So imagine my delight when I got to attend one this past weekend.

If you've never heard of The Bookworm Box, here's a quick overview on what it is and how it works:

Colleen Hoover, who loves donating to charity, wanted to find a way to use books to accomplish that goal.  So she and her crew created The Bookworm Box.  

Every month, people order a box that is guaranteed to have two signed paperback books in them.  You never know what you're going to get, which is part of the fun.  The box may have signed copies of 50 Shades of Gray by EL James.  Or it might have books by authors you've never heard of.

The box also has various swag items inside.  Some of them have a third book.  Some have calendars.  Some have pens.  It varies from month to month.  

As if this isn't enough, they've expanded over the last year and now have a store front right in downtown Sulphur Springs, Texas.  (It's down the street from what is now my favorite candy store ever.  That's incentive enough to visit on a regular basis.)

While The Bookworm Box started as being completely volunteer run, in less than a year's time, they've had to hire just a few employees.  Because it's considered a non-profit organization, they have had to hire things like a director and a finance person.  But when it comes to the store front and the labor that goes with packing parties, there are zero paid employees.  It's run by Colleen, her sister Lin Reynolds (who puts in a massive amount of work), her mother Vannoy Fite (who also puts in a massive amount of work) and her husband Heath (ok, ok.  They ALL put in a massive amount of work.)  The boxes are all stuffed by volunteers.

While the books for the boxes are purchased at cost, almost every single book in the store front is donated by the author.  And there are thousands of them.

Here's the best part of it....all the proceeds from the sales of the boxes go to various charities.  They've donated to everything from cancer wards to veterans programs.  There's not a lot this organization hasn't donated to.  By their first anniversary, they anticipate donating almost $300,000.  Yes, you read that right....in one year they will have raised well over a quarter of a million dollars.  

That's a hell of a lot of books.  And a hell of a lot of boxes.

How many boxes you ask?


At least that many every month.

That's just the boxes that were packed this weekend to be shipped around the US.  It doesn't include the international orders.  Crazy, right?

It was so fun being a part of the assembly line this past weekend.  It was amazing seeing multiple authors, bloggers, readers and regular community members coming together to laugh and have a good time, knowing their hard work is for a good cause.

I ended up labeling the boxes, but I also got to sneak in a few pictures. (Rest assured, if you ordered a box, your surprise will not be spoiled by my pics)

It starts:


right there on the right-hand side.  Multiple folding tables are put together, creating a work space that is easily a few hundred feet long and runs from the front of the building, through a small work area, through a storage area where the shelves are full of books, and into the very back room.  It's quite the assembly line!

Once the volunteer actually put the boxes together, they slide the assembled boxes down to be stuffed with these:


The box then it makes its way around the table to be stuffed with all kinds of swag and maybe even a note signed by Colleen Hoover herself. See all that swag on the left hand side?



The box is then closed and ends up here, in the back of the store front:


The box is taped shut and passed down to be labelled.  All the labels are printed in advance.  And there are stacks of them.  Ever seen 2000+ UPS labels before?  Yeah.  Neither had I.  (By the way, that's me on the left.  The crazy one carrying a baby while she works!)

After they are labelled they are stacked against the walls in the back where they wait until the following day when they are picked up and shipped out.  


You should hear the excitement when the final label is put on the final box!  See how happy we are?

Depending on how many boxes are sold and how many volunteers show up for packing parties, it can take anywhere between 4 and 8 hours to get everything done.  But its done with a lot of laughter and fun conversation.  Plus, there's the added benefit of randomly running into some of your favorite authors.  (I got to work right alongside Kim Holden and Susan Stoker.  We had a blast!)

If you're interested in ordering one of these fantastic boxes, just follow the link by clicking here.  

The entire family does an amazing job for a great cause.  And I couldn't be more proud to have been just a small part of it!

Thursday, January 7, 2016

Three Words: Penny Reid. Free.


If you've never allowed yourself the joy of reading Penny Reid's books, now is your chance to try out her work.  For free.

And if you are a fan of the "Knitting in the City" series, this is the book you've been waiting for...Greg and Fiona's story.  "Ninja at First Sight" chronicles how Greg and Fiona first met.  

This novella is everything we've come to expect from Ms. Reid...it's smart.  It's sexy.  It's funny.  It's real.  Get it by clicking here.

As if that's not awesome enough, there's more Greg and Fiona coming later this month!  You can pre-order by clicking here.

You won't be disappointed.


Tuesday, January 5, 2016

Start the New Year Off Right with a Mara Jacobs Read and a Mara Jacobs Giveaway!


It's a new year which means it's time to start tackling a new TBR list.  And what a way to start out the year, than with a new release by Mara Jacobs!

I know, I know...I'm always talking about Mara Jacobs.  But I absolutely adore this series!  And "Worth the Lies" doesn't disappoint.

In this installment, Huck Beck and Kelsey Cameron are paired together in an under cover operation.  The catch is...they're playing a married couple.  And the operation is being held in Huck's home town. Needless to say, lines are crossed, lies are told and unexpected feelings develop.  It's a recipe great reading! 

I've said it before and I'll say it again, Ms. Jacob's writing is just effortless.  The story is never forced.  The plot is never rushed.  The characters are never outlandish.  It's just a nice, fun read with people you'd probably want to be your friends.

You can get "Worth the Lies" by clicking here.

Haven't read any of this series yet?  Well you're in luck!  For a limited time, the box set of the first three is on sale for $0.99!  The Worth Series is one of my favorites of all time.  So don't miss it.  Get it by clicking here.

Haven't read the installment before this one?  Then you may want to win this paperback:

Yep.  It's signed and waiting for someone to claim it!  Just "like" this Facebook page by clicking here.  

Then "like" Mara Jacobs' page by clicking here.

Then come back here and comment below.  It's that easy!  One lucky winner will be chosen by Random.org later this week.

Happy New Year.  And Happy Reading!

Friday, January 1, 2016

Top Series of 2015

One of the things I love about books is when I fall in love with some characters and it turns into a series.  

Fantastic!

These are Chelle's Top 10 Series' reads of 2015:



1.




2.  




3.  





4.  




5.  

(The next installment came out today!)



6.  




7.  




8.  




9.  




10.  

(This is the final installment in the Forever Family series)