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Showing posts with label Audio Book Tour. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Audio Book Tour. Show all posts

Audio Blitz: Heart of Stone by Dakota Willink

Title: The  Stone Series
Author: Dakota Willink
Genre: Romance
Hosted by: Lady Amber's PR
Blurb:
Krystina Cole was a girl on a mission. She had big dreams and aspirations, none of which included a man by her side. She knew better than that – at least until she met Alexander Stone, the New York billionaire real estate tycoon. She saw the way that he looked at her, and the dark promises in his eyes. She was curious about his world and all that it entailed. But the shadows of her past haunted her, making her afraid to explore possibilities that she could never before have imagined…
Alexander Stone was a man who knew how to get what he wanted. He understood the value of finesse, and the importance of patience and diligence to achieve the desired result. He was successful and wealthy, relying on his naturally sharp instincts to guide him through life. But a chance run in with Krystina Cole quickly turned his world upside down. Her quick wit and firecracker attitude was the complete opposite of what he wanted in a woman, and his instincts failed him at every turn…
However, both Krystina and Alexander are clinging to the secrets in their past, and neither of them are willing to compromise. Krystina’s hardened heart makes emotional surrender a hard limit. But for Alexander, revealing his past could have devastating results.
Blurb:
The story of Krystina and Alexander continues in Stepping Stone, book two of The Stone Series.
Krystina Cole is flawed and damaged from a traumatic experience. A relationship with Alexander Stone will never work. She knows that her capacity for love is limited, and that only she alone can repair the pieces of her shattered heart. But Alexander is everywhere she turns. In her mind. In her heart. And in her soul. She cannot deny him. He is her addiction and she is unable to stay away.
Alexander Stone has accepted the inevitable. If he wants to hold on to Krystina, he must bare all and release the secrets in his past. There were risks, but she is worth it. No woman has ever affected him the way that she did. She is the sunshine in his darkness. The lightning to his thunder. She is his angel.
Bound by their passion to be together, Alexander and Krystina fight to let go of their pasts. Together, they embark on journey of self-exploration, relying on trust to be their ultimate bond. Falling completely into one another, there finally seems to be a beacon of hope for their future. But as they test their boundaries of desire, fate takes an unexpected turn, threatening their only chance at survival…
Blurb:
Two declarations of love. And a past that won’t set them free.
Alexander had rules. Krystina broke them. Together, they learned the hard way that life was too short to play the game. Choosing to not leave their relationship to Fate, they fell completely and irrevocably into one another. As two shattered souls, wrapped in each other’s arms, it was as if the world and all its troubles did not exist.
However, committing to love each other was only the beginning. Caught up in their blazing desire, they unexpectedly find themselves facing the shadows of the past once again. Just when Krystina thought she knew the man she committed to, more questions arise, causing her to wonder if Alexander is who he says he is. It should have been one of the happiest times in their lives, but the darkness still loomed, threatening everything they fought so hard to overcome.
Now Krystina is faced with a terrible decision: go against Alexander in order to save him or sit idly by and watch as his world shatters around him. For her greatest battle was the very thing their relationship was founded upon. Trust.
The heart-wrenching and seductive story of Alexander and Krystina concludes with Set In Stone, the powerfully moving finale to The Stone Series.
Dakota Willink is an Amazon International Bestselling Author. She loves writing about damaged heroes who fall in love with sassy and independent females. Her books are character driven, emotional, and sexy, yet written with a flare that keeps them real. With three published titles and a magazine publication under her belt, Dakota's imagination is constantly spinning new ideas. Her current work in progress is The Dahlia Project, a series of standalone books that will embrace diverse characters and current day world issues.
Dakota’s love affair with reading and writing began when she was in the sixth grade. Competitive by nature, she was determined to win a reading contest and blitzed through every Sweet Valley High book she could get her hands on. As a result, she discovered her love for words. Since then, she dreamed of one day writing her own book, but put her aspirations on hold to focus on family and a career that would pay the bills. However, her heart continued to be with fictional characters – whether they belonged to a favorite author or if they were just stories that she made up in her own head. 
In 2013, Dakota gathered enough courage to turn her dreams into a reality. In between playing chauffeur to two very busy teenagers and working her job during the day, Dakota began to put words on paper. By 2014, she gave up the security of a steady paycheck and began working on her first novel full-time.
Dakota often says she survived her first publishing with coffee and wine. She’s an unabashed Star Wars fanatic and still dreams of one day getting her letter from Hogwarts.  She enjoys spending time with her super-supportive husband and two witty teenagers, her two Labrador Retrievers, and her spoiled rotten cat. During the summer months, she can often be found soaking up the sun on the Great Lakes with her family
Author Links:
Buy Links:
Heart of Stone: https://amzn.to/2OLOiH1
Stepping Stone: https://amzn.to/2nTYgLj
Audio Links:
Heart of Stone: https://amzn.to/2OJROBG
Stepping Stone: https://amzn.to/2PozBuO

Audio Tour and Review: Thirty Day Boyfriend by Whitney G

Thirty Day Boyfriend

by Whitney G.  
Publication Date: November 2, 2017  
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance 
Narrated by: Erin Mallon and Zachary Webber
Length: 2 hours and 40 minutes
I should've never agreed to this arrangement... Thirty days ago, my boss--Mr. Wolf of Wall Street, came to me with an offer I couldn't refuse: Sign my name on the dotted line and pretend to be his fiancée for one month. If I agreed, he would let me out of my employment contract with a "very generous" severance package. The rules were pretty simple: No intimate kissing, no actual sex. Just pretend to love each other for the press, even though I've secretly wanted to knock that sexy smirk off his face since the first day we met. I definitely didn't need to think twice about this. I signed my name and started counting down the seconds to when I would never have to deal with his special brand of ass-holery again. I only made it to one minute... We argued the entire four-hour flight to his hometown, failed to make a convincing impression with the welcoming press, and right when I was about to knock that arrogant look off his face in real life? He purposely dropped his bath towel in front of me, distracting me with his nine-inch cock to "show me who the bigger person was" in our relationship. Then he gave me his trademark smirk once again and asked if I wanted to consummate our marriage. Tragically, this is only day one. We still have 29 more days to go...

About Whitney G.

Whitney G. is a twenty-eight-year-old optimist who is obsessed with travel, tea, and great coffee. She’s also a New York Times & USA Today bestselling author of several contemporary novels, and the cofounder of The Indie Tea–an inspirational blog for indie romance authors. When she’s not chatting with readers on her Facebook Page, you can find her on her website at http://www.whitneygbooks.com or on instagram: @whitneyg.author. (If she’s not in either of those places, she’s probably locked away working on another crazy story.) Don’t forget to sign up for Whitney’s monthly newsletter here: http://bit.ly/1p9fEYF

                                              Review

 This was a short but sweet listen. I must say at the beginning I really didn't care for Nick but he really grew on me with how he cared for Emily. I loved Emily. She was strong and independent. She could objectively see that Nick was attractive but she didn't want to mix her work and personal lives. Not to mention she as totally oblivious to how he really felt about her. I really loved the scene where Nick recalled when he knew he was in love with Emily and when Emily stood up for Nick. And I loved the ending when she finally opened her presents. That was sweet and unexpected. I kind of wish this was a bit longer because I really liked this couple together. 4 Stars for the story.

Narration

You can never go wrong with Erin Mallon and Zachary Webber narrating a book. I really liked this combo for the narration. I felt they worked well for the characters in this story. Nothing more I can say because you know these two give quality narration. 5 stars 
 

Audio Book Blog Tour: Drumline by Stacy Kestwick


Author: Stacy Kestwick

Narrators: Stephen Dexter, Tracy Marks

Length: 9 hours 5 minutes

Publisher: Stacy Kestwick

Released: Dec. 4, 2017

Genre: Contemporary Romance



 



Traditions are important. Especially in the South. College football. Rivalries. Tailgating. Halftime shows. Some things just don’t change. Until Reese Holland shows up with her long legs and no-bullshit attitude to audition for the prestigious all-male Rodner University snare line. It doesn’t matter how much hazing she has to endure from Laird Bronson, with his narrowed green eyes and arrogant smirk. She wants that damn spot, and she’s more than good enough to earn it. She expects there to be tension. Even friction. But not sparks hot enough to burn the entire campus down.







 


USA Today bestseller Stacy Kestwick is a Southern girl who firmly believes mornings should be outlawed. Her perfect day would include puppies, carbohydrates, and lounging on a hammock with a good book. No adulting, cleaning, or bacon allowed.

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Narrator Bio
Tracy Marks has been acting onstage and onscreen since she was 12, and has been narrating audiobooks for 4 years. She lives in Chicago with her boyfriend and adorable dog, and considers herself very lucky to have an excuse to stay indoors in her toasty little booth during the cold winter months. Bringing heart, heat, vulnerability, and humor to her work, she has a passion for bringing love stories to life.

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Stephen always wanted to be an audiobook narrator. As someone who never liked the whole "reading silently" thing, and has had a lifelong penchant for performing and flair for the dramatic, it was inevitable that he would be doing this for a living. With dozens of titles to his credit, a majority of them steamy romance novels, he has had the pleasure of voicing characters from the Great Plains of Texas, the bayous of Louisiana, the streets of South Boston, the dungeons of a vampire's castle, the deserts of Mars, and everything in between. It has been an honor to bring such amazing stories by Penny Reid (Marriage Of Inconvenience), Krista & Becca Ritchie (Hothouse Flower), Lex Martin (Shameless), Mia Sheridan (Kyland), and so many more incredibly talented authors, to life. Be sure to check him out on social media, Audible.com, ACX.com, and at www.stephendexter.com. SAG-AFTRA/AEA. Happy listening!

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Q&A with Narrator Tracy Marks & Stephen Dexter
  • How did you wind up narrating audiobooks? Was it always your goal or was it something you stumbled into by chance?
    • Tracy: I didn't always want to be a narrator, but once I found narration I knew that I'd pretty much found my dream job! I have a pretty extensive background in theatre -- I did my first play when I was twelve and never stopped. I studied theatre in my undergrad, and even went back to get my MFA in acting. It was after grad school that I was having drinks with a friend of mine who lived in New York, and she told me that she'd been doing audiobook narration at Audible Studios. We talked about it for a bit, and that night I went home with a new goal -- to become an audiobook narrator. That was 4 years ago, and almost two years ago I went full-time with narration. It truly is the most amazing job in the world, or I guess more importantly, the perfect fit for me! I don't mind spending hours a day in a little tiny box talking to myself. :) And even though I have a theatre background, I've always found myself drawn to little tiny 20 seat theatres or on-camera work, because I like intimate storytelling. Well, nothing is more intimate than telling a story directly into someone's ear!
    • Stephen:
When I was in my last semester at my acting conservatory, an Audible producer came along with a veteran narrator and did a workshop and talked about the differences between types of narration (audiobook vs commercial vs animation) and we did practice runs while they gave us feedback. I volunteered as much as I could while they were there and when it was over I got his card and asked to audition in the future. I got in touch with him and was given some sides to record and a background profile to fill out. Within 2 or 3 weeks, I had my first business nonfiction title to narrate. It was a great learning experience to start with because there weren’t multiple characters, it was just straight narration to start with. And it felt so natural and I loved it.




  • A lot of narrators seem to have a background in theatre. Is that something you think is essential to a successful narration career?
    • Tracy: It probably isn't essential (there's always someone out there that's the exception to the rule!) but I think it helps so much. I've spent years as a theatre actor developing and deepening my understanding of story arc, character development, subtext, action/objective, voice and vocal health, accents and dialects, and on and on. And every single one of those skills has helped me as a narrator. There are a lot of skills that are specific to narration -- acting your heart out without moving around too much so the mic doesn't pick up a bunch of rustling noises, for one! -- but a lot of what I learned as a theatre actor translates directly over to narration. Telling a good story is an art, and the best narrators i know keep pushing themselves to be better, and they stay curious and excited about the craft of narration!
    • Stephen:
  • I don’t think it’s essential, although I personally have that background and it helps you train your voice – from when you had to perform 8x a week out loud without a microphone and still make it sound natural. It’s an incredible gift to have that training and it helps, but voice classes are another way people can get into this. And practice, practice, practice. You need to have the tools to honor the author’s vision, whether it’s an audiobook for an author or theater for a playwright.
  • How closely do you prefer to work with authors?
    • Tracy: This is probably my theatre background showing, but I really like collaborating with authors (and my co-narrator if it's a dual POV book!). There will always be a bit of a leap of faith on the author's part, because at the end of the day it's just me alone in a booth bringing their baby to life in audio. But I spend a lot of time in my prep talking with the author, asking them questions about the characters, accents, name pronunciations, etc. I do everything I can to make sure I'm as tuned in as possible to their vision for the book before I start narrating.
    • Stephen: I like to work very closely, it’s their baby and they put so much work into writing and publishing and they’re gracious enough to trust me to give voices to these characters so I want to know as much as they’re willing to tell me, how they hear them, about their personalities and relationships with the other characters. Some authors give a lot of feedback, some say it’s up to me. I reach out to the author and/or the co-narrator to make sure we’re all on the same page. Then I either go into the studio or do it at my home studio.
  • Who are your “accent inspirations”?
    • Tracy: I don't think I have accent inspirations, exactly... but I do work with a dialect coach whenever I have an accent that's new to me pop up in a book. Then I spend weeks and weeks talking to my boyfriend in whatever the accent is, until I feel like I've got it settled into my body. In a play, I'd work with a coach, and then learn my lines in the accent, and fine-tune the accent throughout rehearsals. But in a book, I have to know the accent well enough to read in dialect right off the page. So it takes a lot of work to prepare! One thing I do have, instead of accent inspirations, is touchstone phrases that help me plug into an accent quickly -- something that I can always say with that accent. For Scottish, my phrase is "I don't know!" For Russian, it's, "Stir the oatmeal." For Irish, it's, "What're you talking about?"
  • Do you read reviews for your audiobooks?
    • Tracy: Yes. Sometimes I have to gird myself first, but I do. I think it matters what listeners think! Not that I'm going to please everyone all the time, but if there are a lot of comments that seem to have a common theme, I'll take that seriously as I continue to grow and improve as a narrator.
  • If so, which ones stand out to you most, positive or negative?
    • Tracy: The negative, which kinda sucks, and I'm trying to change that. I've always been kind of bad at taking compliments, so when I get good reviews I don't quite know how to absorb them into my brain -- whereas the negative ones lodge right in there, set up camp, and stick around for a while, lol!
  • How did you decide how each character should sound?
    • Stephen: In Drumline, in talking with the author and Tracy and then just reading the book, I started to get a picture of the character and their traits, and I start to speak in his voice and then add the accent which adds a certain attitude to it. Like in Drumline, he started out gruff and there’s an evolution and a journey, so then I got softer, or during the intimate scenes your voice obviously changes. You just let the character inform you how he sounds.
  • Have there been any characters you really connected with?
    • Stephen: In every book I’ve narrated, I feel like there has to be – just like in acting, and I don’t necessarily distinguish between the two. In either case you’re telling the story and you have to find some common ground to connect to. With every character, I try as best I can to see where they’re coming from—to see their objectives and their motivations.
  • What would you say to those who say listening to audiobooks is cheating or inferior to real reading?
    • Stephen: Fuck. You... No. I understand that a little bit, I’m a used book fiend, the look and smell of the yellowing pages, and the tangible book in my hands, but I’ve listened to several other audiobooks that I’ve loved and I think it’s the same as watching a movie or a TV show, it’s just a different medium and you’re translating it into something else and it might be better or worse. It’s a very individual thing. Like the whole book vs. movie debate. Yes, you’re reading it verbatim, but maybe the narrator makes it come alive in a new way that you didn’t get just from reading the book in your own head.
  • What’s next for you?
    • Tracy: I have a lot of really exciting stuff on the horizon for 2018! I'll be working with Lauren Landish, Sosie Frost, and LA Fiore in January, and I'm also under final consideration for a play that would start rehearsals in the new year. That's really exciting, because I've cut back on theatre work as narration has started to keep me busier and busier. But in my ideal world, I'd do a play or two a year alongside my narration work. I think narration has made me a better actor, and continuing to do theatre and be challenged by other actors will make me a better narrator.
    • Stephen: As far as audiobooks go, I’m recording Blood Slave by Izzy Shows, book 2 in the Ruled by Blood series. She’s Anne Rice with armor on, very powerful female driven characters and stories. It’s a very star-crossed lovers type of story. Then after that is Marriage of Inconvenience by Penny Reid where I get to do a South Boston accent, which I’m really excited about. Can’t wait to get started on that one.
  • Any funny anecdotes from inside the recording studio?
    • Stephen: Yes. It’s hard to pin just one, I think when you deal for the most part with romance novels and you’re narrating a lot of scenes of physical intimacy, some more graphic than others, I think it makes it a lot of fun and I have had to stop to either shake my head or laugh or go call my mother and tell her to never listen to this book, because of the euphemisms of the different sexual acts and how creative authors can be in those scenes. To read the male perspective written by a woman is very, very interesting, especially when it comes to sex. To see, wow, this is how women think men think and sometimes it’s spot on and other times it’s just really… funny, and educational in itself.

  • With Stacy Kestwick
    1. Waffle fries or curly fries? Waffle fries, so you can really load up the condiments. Honey mustard is better than ketchup.
    2. GIF with a hard g or soft g? Hard, because some things are better hard. ;-)
    3. Fantasy or science-fiction? Science fiction. I’m a geek at heart.
    4. Superman or Batman? Well, there are some great Batman jokes in Drumline, but I personally like the idea of the guy-you-don’t-expect being the hero.
    5. Text message or call? Text! Unless it’s my mom, then calling is easier.
    6. Pancakes or waffles? Waffles! Even better? Cinnamon-roll waffles - just smoosh refrigerated cinnamon dough in the waffle maker, then top with the frosting.
    7. Doctor Who or the Walking Dead? Walking Dead - I’m a Georgia girl!
    8. TV Shows or movies? I rarely have time for either anymore, but I’ll go with TV shows. The twisted plotlines drag me in and the mini cliffhangers every week are a lesson in themselves in great writing.
    9. Facebook or Twitter? Facebook. I talk too much to limit myself to a certain number of characters.
    10. Alice in Wonderland or Robinson Crusoe? Alice. It just seems so trippy.
    11. Being too warm or too cold? I’m always cold. Give me too warm anyday just for a change.
    12. Netflix or Hulu? Hulu, so I can watch my favorite shows without commercials. I’m still mourning the cancellation of Pitch with Mark Paul Gosselar.
    13. Work Hard or Play Hard? Both. Also nap hard.
    14. Passenger or Driver? Passenger. So I can nap. Unless the driver is the only one who gets to control the radio. Then I want to drive.
    15. Amusement Park or Day at the Beach? Beach. Nothing beats laying in a hammock on a dock with a great book and a cold fruity drink. And napping in the sun. (Do you sense a theme yet?)
    16. Honesty or Other’s Feelings? Lord, I suck at tact, so I probably lean a little too far toward honesty.
    17. Movie at Home or Movie at the Theater? Depends what it is. Some movies are just better on the big screen. But at home, you don’t have to wear pants. Or a bra.
    Giveaway 
    Feb. 1st: The Book Junkie Reads . . . Up 'Til Dawn Book Blog Love Read Listen UBH Book’s, Babe’s and HEA’s Sasha Says Feb. 2nd: The Book Disciple Dirty Bad Bloggers Smada's Book Smack Sweet Red Reads Feb. 3rd: Can’t Quit Books Lover of Big Books Cannot Lie Bobo's Book Bank Feb. 4th: Next Book Review Lisa Loves Literature Cali Book Reviews Feb. 5th: Never Too Many To Read The Bookworm Lodge Mile High KINK Book Club Book Babes Unite Smashly Bookalicous Reviewing Chicks Feb. 6th: Lilly's Book World SERIESous Book Reviews KT's Book Blog and Review Feb. 7th: A Page to Turn Haddie's Haven The Book Addict's Reviews Bookworms Corner London's Scribbles Aaly and The Books Rachel Loren’s Love of Reading Books n Wine In Patti's Imagination Reading in Sarah's Corner
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    Audiobook Blog Tour and Review: Asher Black by Parker S. Huntington


























    Author: Parker S. Huntington

    Narrators: Lacy Laurel

    Length: 8 hours and 32 minutes

    Publisher: PSH Publishing House

    Released: Oct. 31, 2017

    Genre: Romance

    He was supposed to kill me. I had done the unthinkable. I called the cops on him, on his family, but he let me live. We became friends, and then... we fell in love. Lucy Ives is a foster kid, running from her turbulent past. On her first night in New York City, she accidentally calls the cops on the mafia. When their fixer comes to kill her, he spares her life in exchange for a favor--be his fake fiance or die.
     
     



     



















     
    Parker S. Huntington is from Orange County, California, USA. She has a B.A. in Creative Writing from the University of California, Riverside and is currently pursuing a Master's in Liberal Arts in Literature and Creative Writing from Harvard University. She has two puppies, Bauer and Chloe, and lives with her boyfriend of four years--a real life alpha male, book-boyfriend-worthy hunk of a man. She is currently working on Book 3 of the Five Syndicates Series.
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    Narrator Bio


     Lacy lives the life of a full time wife, mother and household manager. Needing a temporary escape from time to time Lacy returned back to her first love - reading! After devouring everything she could get her hands on she thought, -what if she could mix her love of performance and literature in a professional capacity? Once getting involved in the world of book narration she quickly became hooked and when not with her family you can find her in her studio working hard to grow in her own storytelling abilities.
      I received this audiobook as part of my participation in a blog tour with Audiobookworm Promotions. The tour is being sponsored by Lacy Laurel. The gifting of this audiobook did not affect my opinion of it. 



    Fake Fiancé is one of my favorite tropes so I was excited to listen to this one. Lucy inadvertently gets roped into being the fiancé to former mobster Asher Black after she calls the police on him. I’m not a big fan of mob/mafia books but this one was a lot different than I expected. I really liked Lucy. She was a former foster kid but well-traveled and super smart. I think what I loved most about her is that she wasn’t naïve to the world. She was attracted to Asher but she knew about his mob ties. She didn’t let his attractiveness distract her from the fact that he could have her killed if he wanted to. I liked Asher too. I get the super smart guy thing but the mob ties and titan of business thing at 25 was a little too farfetched for me. Some parts of this story really had me side eying this story. That being said it didn’t keep me from enjoying it. I really liked Lucy and Asher together. This book was very slow burn. Lucy and Asher really got to know each other before they took it to the next level.One thing I did not expect from this book was for it to be so funny. I would have to classify this at least a little as romantic comedy because there were so many parts that had me laughing.

    Narration

    This book was narrated by Lacy Laurel. I have listened to books from her before and I must really say the more she narrates the better she gets. In previous books I listened to narrated by her, I felt she narrated a little too fast but her pacing was really good in this one. I still don’t love her male voices but it’s not enough of an issue to keep me from listening to a book narrated by her. 

    Overall I really enjoyed this book. I would definitely be looking for more from these two. 


     

     Nov. 12th: The Audiobookworm Next Book Review What Is That Book About Nov. 13th: Jazzy Book Reviews Lilly's Book World Nov. 14th: Up 'Til Dawn Book Blog Desert Rose Reviews Highway-Y.A. Nov. 15th: Love Read Listen London's Scribbles Nov. 16th: Between the Coverz Audiobook Romance Nov. 17th: The Book Junkie Reads . . . Notes from 'Round the Bend Nov. 18th: The Book Addict's Reviews Elsie's Audiobook Digest

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