Tag Archives: audiobooks

Mar 29 2016

AudioBook Review – The Eaton

I’ve had the pleasure of listening to Jeff Hays this week, with one of his new released Audio books, The Eaton by John K. Addis.

I don’t mind Horror stories at all, and have to admit this was a pretty good scary listen. 🙂

If you like classic 80’s Horror stories, then this is a must for you!

Blurb –

The Eaton is the debut novel of John K. Addis. Spanning over 100 years of mid-Michigan history but written in the gruesome style of ’80s horror classics, The Eaton tells the story of Sam Spicer, who purchases the dilapidated Michigan Central Railroad Depot in Eaton Rapids with the dream of opening a hot new martini bar. But when he and his friends discover an abandoned underground hotel directly beneath the property, they must discover what happened to the original guests – before their own time runs out.

Check the book out at –

http://www.audible.co.uk/pd/Crime-Thrillers/The-Eaton-Audiobook/B01CKLAVDW

Review –

“Scary stuff…”

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes, because it had lots of wonderful elements in it, it was scary, heartbreaking and just terrible all at once. 🙂

What did you like best about this story?

The fact that it took you on such an emotional journey with the characters, it takes you by surprise because even I wasn’t expecting it as a horror. It was very character driven.

What about Jeff Hays’s performance did you like?

Jeff has quite the difference in character voices. I enjoyed all of them, and when the characters were excited and scared so was I…. I really enjoyed his characters voices for Sarah, Kinsey and Janet. : ) so different, yet so woman like. Great job.

Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

There were several moments that really got me. I have to admit, Janet and seeing ‘the baby’ in the linen basket. Would be horrid for anyone… Sarah and having her nipple in the chomper, and for me that moment when someone you love and care about is crying out to you ‘Sarah, I’m hurt… please don’t leave me’ ugggh, just heart wrenching. I don’t know how they could ever leave them, belief or not that it’s the creature. What if it just wasn’t?

Any additional comments?

Okay, so for the most part I did enjoy the performance of the book. It was great to listen to, had it’s ups and downs, what I wasn’t so sure about was some of the flashbacks and places of ‘backstory’ I know most of it seemed really relevant, and it was and it was much better than the ‘reader of the journal’ just recanting events as Jonathan experienced them. But, they did interrupt some of the story for me. Mostly because of their timing. I wasn’t so sure some of them were totally relevant till I’d gotten past them and into the next scene or chapter.

What this as a book did do for me, was take me back to the scary films I used to watch and the stories I used to read as a young adult. It had good tone and great characters. I will defo come back and see if there are more in the future from this author, and yeah Jeff has a new fan to 🙂 so thank you to both for the 10 plus hours of entertainment. Well worth investing my time, and energy into.

Extra thoughts – Prologue – Not so sure on it they’re almost always not needed, but it ended well enough for Zeke, and the creature got out after all! damned. Sarah if she’s still alive better run….

Author note – Interesting to hear that I’m not the only Author who takes their dreams and writes them out. Thank you for that. And pretty interesting that there are real facts in here. 🙂 Kudos to the writer, for research. (heck you talk fast though)

~ Dawn

 

Mar 26 2016

AudioBook Review – The Atomic Sea

Having quite the adventure with AudioBooks 🙂 This was the latest pick up, and quite the story to boot 🙂

Check out my review – If you like deep dark and gritty worlds, this one is for you 🙂

http://www.audible.co.uk/pd/Sci-Fi-Fantasy/The-Atomic-Sea-Omnibus-of-Volumes-One-and-Two-Audiobook/B01BW0PNCG#publisher-summary

Which due to an error is not showing on Audible just yet. I have contacted Amazon over these issues, waiting to see what the problem is. Sorry. Review is posted below though, as I seem to have lost one from last weekend.

“Dark, mysterious and action packed!”

Would you listen to The Atomic Sea: Omnibus of Volumes One and Two again? Why?

I would listen to both of these books again, because there was so much to the world and story, I felt it was a lot to take in and digest as an audiobook.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Atomic Sea: Omnibus of Volumes One and Two?

I actually liked the attack on the beach with the large crab things that melted people. Avery was and did accept that his life could be over and all throughout the story there were interspersed parts about his wife and child, I found some of his internal monologue very thoughtful and deep at times.

Then when Jenx’s gang sit down to tattoo the names of their fallen friends on their bodies, it was so deep and meaningful. Avery stood up here, and throughout the novel learned and became a much better man for the journey.

What about Ray Greenley’s performance did you like?

Ray brought with him a deeper voice than I’ve heard so far. But the characters were unique enough that I knew who they were and enjoyed them. Especially the voice of Avery. Who I admit I did not like at all at the start of the book.
There was excitement, sentiment and real dire situations every moment had the right tone, and delivery. 🙂 great to listen to.

If you made a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

Wild sea adventure with monsters and traitors. haha. I suck at these.

Any additional comments?

I would be crazy not to mention the facts that these books do just kinda stop. It is one of the worst things you can do as a writer, but it’s almost forgivable because the characters are so well rounded.

So, characters, yes I didn’t like Avery. He’s an idiot at the start of the story and one who I just didn’t like or understand. Yet our writer has quite the journey for this guy and Avery’s back story and life unravel through out the book in a way that’s not invasive but interesting and true to him.

Sheridon I wasn’t sure was a traitor at first, but there were deft clues here and there leading towards me believing there were several people involved there. And of course there was. Janx. (sp) was great to, I loved him. I did think at first he was called Jinx. Could have just misheard it as they were catching the whale.

Layanna is for the most part in a coma in the first book, so the story focusses on Avery and Sheridon’s bad relationship the actual world that they’re in and the war with the Octung, which is very dark and foreboding. Not just because of the world war feel to everything, but for the dark and twisted creatures that they use and the weaponry they have. This is a fight that I don’t think Ganeshi (sp) can win. And with traitors around they’re defo got no chance.

I did think there were some overused terms. Avery drinking, boy that man’s an alcoholic, if that was the intention it’s fine, but it was so bad at some points I needed a drink! also a good few of ‘he said, she said’ I personally didn’t think were needed. Some bothered me enough to pull me out the world.

Mar 20 2016

Narrator Interview – Marie Rose

And Audio Giveaway!

I’ve had the most amazing few weeks getting to talk to several AudioBook Narrators, and this weeks interview was with Marie Rose.

TSK’s really excited to give you some insight to these very talented folk who bring authors works to life!

http://www.tskproductions.com/our-blog/38-narrator-interview-marie-rose

And if you don’t want to click the link this is also how you can find her 🙂  But yeah please click the link! it’s a great interview!

And for those who check out Marie Rose’s sites, facebook and Youtube, if you leave her a comment and me a pingback here so I can go see! She’s promised an audiobook to one of my lovely fans 🙂 How sweet is that! Get in there….

How can readers discover more about you and you work?

Book Links: (* American, UK, etc.)

Feb 28 2016

TSK’s next step AudioBooks :)

Last few days to get in as early bird members to the TSK website! come on I know you want in!

members image

It has been a busy week and I’m posting this side of today first. I did blog about my personal life earlier, but I’m scheduling that post for later.

The title really says it all, and as director of TSK Productions,  I’ve been looking for the right people to bring onboard for us since the beginning of January. They say good things come to those who wait and it’s so true. At first I was a little over excited about the possibilities of hearing TSK read by someone else. Then the task of finding that voice overwhelmed me.

The world of Audio Book is so different I hadn’t expected any of the process.

So for those who don’t know anything this was my journey to now. My friends pointed me at first in the direction of ACX. This is part of Audible and Authors (Rights Holders) can post their projects for potential Narrators to Audition for.

Here’s where I got a little lost. ACX ask you to fill in your profile and ‘sell’ yourself. I’m not very good at that but I tried my best, then they suggest you try and find a voice you like. I tried that and found someone, send them an offer and it lapsed without even a reply. I guess that is the nature of hunting for any partnership.

I didn’t seem to be getting anywhere and one of my friends pointed me to a facebook group. Which I joined and have been so happy with, I’ve learned much more about not only the process of ACX but also more about Narrators and how the system works. How they essentially do their job.

On ACX you can post your work with two options-

1 – A royalty share deal where the author and narrator split the profits.

2 – A PFH rate system which can range from anything like $100 – 400 an hour.

Now we RH’s don’t know how long it take for one person to get to that ‘finished hour, and the confusion seems pretty wide spread from chatter in the facebook group and amongst some of my Author friends.

The fact is it can take 10 hours to make 1 finished Audio Hour and although some narrators do all the work themselves, the fact is getting a producer to do the work frees time and means two ears are on the project not just the narrator and RH. A better win. But, narrators can’t pay for a producer out their own pocket, no matter how much they love a novel. Money doesn’t grow on trees, and so a lot of narrators try and negotiate for a Hybrid deal. Which ACX at the moment doesn’t have as an option for.

I was very lucky to start talking to a wonderful guy, Steven about the whole process, and we talked about what I needed for TSK and of course budget etc. I’m a big believer in paying people but I’ve personally only got so much cash coming in. And it’s taken me time to get that together with my savings. TSK’s been growing in a huge rate this last few months, in design and in everything we as a team do. I’ve backed everyone as I know I should and I will continue to do so.

Sorting out payments in advance for things like editing on book 2 trying to get ahead of the game and not worry about suddenly having to find a huge wad of money when I need the job done. I try and have a business head on, at all times, but yes of course I get excited and spend stuff I shouldn’t. lol

This last two weeks we’ve had Steve find and start negotiating with two very talented narrators. Of which I’m totally excited to say have now joined with us as Team TSK’s voice.

More than excited to welcome Greg Tremblay, who is taking on Book 1 and our short snippets. 🙂

His Audio books can be found at if you want to listen to his amazing voice –

http://www.audible.co.uk/search/ref=a_listener__cco_1_1_1_n?searchNarrator=Greg+Tremblay

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/GTremblayVoice/posts/1224970447520737?fref=nf&pnref=story

and Holly Adams –

Audible link for her sweet voice is – http://www.audible.co.uk/search/ref=a_search_tseft?advsearchKeywords=Holly+Adama&filterby=field-keywords&x=0&y=0

and her facebook fan page

https://www.facebook.com/hollyadamsnarrator/?fref=ts

 

I know this project has a lot coming up.  We could keep these guys nice and busy for a bit, with book 2 set for release (sept, I’m hoping) our short snippets live each month and three of our writers working on other stories and novels set in the TSK world, we’ve lots to do in the next year or so.

Greg and Holly were both honest with me, and that little bit of ‘RH and Narrators’ don’t mix kinda thing I found wasn’t true. Greg told me that he found the language side of things exciting and daunting at the same time. I contacted Trent and they had a chat, which really helped, and I’ve since heard Greg’s proof for the story,  and so has Trent. Greg’s fantastic and Lacria sounds just fabulous.

I can’t wait for you guys to hear these two amazing voices, TSK will be brought to life on a whole different level. Which has left me totally awestruck this week.

Nothing else to do but, squeeeee.

🙂 talk later.

Feb 22 2016

Discovering Audible!

Okay, okay, so I’ve had my Audible account since like last year, and whispersync and ‘read aloud’ on my kindle since I broke my arm in 2013, but I have only recently discovered that I can actually LISTEN while I’m driving.

At work, I get these spates where, to and from the bigger sites, I have 20-30 mins to listen straight.

I gotta admit, the first full book I listened to was – Constitution written by Nick Webb and Narrated, by Greg Tremblay.

My review of this is here – http://www.audible.co.uk/listener/kanundra/A17DGMWIBKQAZC/ref=a_pd_Sci-Fi_c9_1_2_rwTtl?asin=B013S27Y2I

But, the fact remains, I’d never done it before, and now I’m hooked. I got through a couple more books this week, and I’m onto the next. This is going to get pretty darned expensive. lol

What I’ve found more relaxing and exciting than anything is I’m also discovering new stories and ‘sub’ genres that I might not have even looked at. I don’t get anywhere as much time as I used to for reading. And my reading lists now consist more of helping out ‘other writers’ in The Ubergroup on scribophile or my other writing friends with projects they’re working on.

Of course, TSK takes a lot of my time, and so does promoting, organising things and other people. Time is so darned precious at the moment. I have to use it the best way I can, for everyone I’m involved with.

So, I’ve also just finished, Silicone Dawn, written by William Massa and narrated by Joe Hempel. Another book, I just couldn’t put down. the review of that one is here.  http://www.audible.co.uk/listener/kanundra/A17DGMWIBKQAZC/ref=a_pd_Sci-Fi_c9_1_2_rwTtl?asin=B013S27Y2I

I’m telling you, if you travel or do anything where you can listen to a book. Audible, and these guys rock.

Love it!