Tuesday, December 24, 2013

.99 cent sale

 Check out our .99 cent special just in time for all those new ipads, phones, kindles.


Here are 31 more reasons to $ave on this after-Christmas $ale! Thirty-one ebooks for 99¢ each. They will be on sale from December 24, 2013 through Tuesday, December 31, 2013. Click the links below the graphic to "look inside" each book on Amazon and download your digital copies!

CHILDREN’S BOOKS

The Camera Shy Monster by Susette Williams

Has your child ever hated to have their picture taken? Then you will enjoy reading The Camera Shy Monster as much as your child or grandchild will enjoy having this entertaining picture book read to them. Brooke doesn’t want her picture taken. She runs away and meets Nessie, a friendly sea monster, who also hates having her picture taken. But how can Nessie take care of Brooke? Nessie comes up with a plan to rescue Brooke and get her to enjoy having her picture taken. BUY The Camera Shy Monster HERE
 

 

The Day My Parents Got Lost by Susette Williams

Has your child ever wandered off--or do you worry that they will? 'The Day My Parents Got Lost' is a fun story that gives parents and teachers the opportunity to talk with children about the importance of staying together when you go places, especially amusement parks, so that nobody gets lost. I remember when my oldest daughter wandered off in a store when she was a toddler. She was so upset with us and blamed us for leaving her. Obviously we didn't leave her--but in her mind we were the ones who wandered off. All these years later, that fearful time, when she wandered away, is still in my mind. Unfortunately, in today's society, we have to teach our children about 'stranger danger' and staying with us in stores and crowds. This story is a fun way to convey the importance of staying together without scaring them about the possible dangers--that even we don't want to think about--that lurk out there in the real world. BUY The Day My Parents Got Lost HERE
 

Wacky Wishes by Susette Williams

What would you wish for if you could have anything you wanted? Tommy and Suzie find a wishing well and like children do, they begin making wishes. Imagine their surprise when their wishes start to come true! Are spacesuits the new dress code at school? What's Tommy going to do with three heads? You've heard of, "Be careful what you wish for, you just might get it." When Tommy and Suzie's wishing gets out of hand, will they be able to wish away the mess they've created before their wishes run out? BUY Wacky Wishes HERE
 

 

Sarge Gets a Timeout by Susette Williams

A boy and his dog’s friendship are tested when lies and betrayal come between them. Is revenge a viable teaching tool or can the two come to an understanding and regain their friendship? It’s a battle of wits against boy and beast in which the two find out if a dog truly is man’s best friend. BUY Sarge Gets a Timeout HERE







 

Ally Nathaniel Bubbles Day

Bubbles, a four years old girl, loves bubbles. She loves watching them, she loves touching them and she wants to learn how to blow them all by herself. Do you think it's easy? Will Bubbles be able to blow bubbles without any help? BUY Bubbles Day HERE

 






Ally Nathaniel My Snow Day
 The perfect Christmas book that will empower your child. It’s the first day of snow and Gabbi and her siblings are about to get creative. They have the most brilliant idea: they will build the best snow-woman ever! This book will not only empower your child by sending the message that children can trust their own thinking and ideas, and implement them all by themselves, but will also emphasize the importance of team work. BUY My Snow Day HERE
 

Tali Carmi Terry Treetop and the Lost Egg
This fun children's picture book is about a boy with red hair and freckles named Terry, yet everybody calls him Terry Treetop because he loves climbing trees. Terry finds a small egg, and his quest is to bring it back home to its mom. But where is the egg's home? Does the egg belong to a turtle on the sand or a crocodile's spring water? Did it come from a frog in a pond or a chicken in the wild? BUY Terry Treetop and the Lost Egg HERE

 


Tali Carmi Terry Treetop Finds New Friends
Want to Help Your Kids Win Friends? #1 Best seller in Children's Action & Adventure Books ! (Animal Habitats & Environment children's book collection) This is a wonderful book about a boy named Terry, but everybody calls him Terry Treetop because he loves climbing trees. Terry was alone, so he went on a journey to find new friends to invite to his new tree house. He almost gives up when a new opportunity comes his way. Will Terry use this opportunity to find new friends? BUY Terry Treetop Finds New Friends HERE

 

Tali Carmi Where is My Home
This fun children's picture book is about a boy with red hair and freckles named Terry, yet everybody calls him Terry Treetop because he loves climbing trees. Terry is chasing a beautiful butterfly and wants to go back home. But where is Terry's home? And how can he find his way home? Does the rabbit in the borrow know? Does the beaver in the lodge know? Maybe the fawn's mother knows? Or can Susanne the squirrel help him? BUY Where is My Home? (Terry Treetop Series) HERE
 

 

 

Just The Way I Am by Idan Hadari

This is a touching and funny story, about a young child that discovers that he has a birthmark on his hand. He learns how to deal with it right up to the surprising end. A great deal of time and effort was invested in the illustrations of this book, as well as the idea behind the story, and binding it all together into a lovely children's story with great values. If you would like that your child not misses out on opportunities in life because of his/her lack self-confidence; whether it be public speaking; taking on leadership roles, or asking someone for a date; then we should teach them the lessons of how to face the challenges and situations they may not be equipped to handle, while they are still young, and before it is too late. Self-esteem determines how successful they will become. Low self-esteem and confidence can affect even the most powerful men and women, no matter how smart, educated or "attractive" they are. BUY Just The Way I Am HERE
 

Andrew’s Claim to Fame by Idan Hadari

This children's book is a touching story, full with all sort of feelings & emotions that you can share with your child. They might have a problem in school/pre-school or any other social activity to win friends or to be noticed an accepted as "One of the group". Would your children like to be famous as soon as possible? Are they impatient about life in general (I want this and right now!)? Are they unaware of their gifts? Are they dreamers, but don't have enough faith? This is a touching and funny story, about a young child that wants to be famous ASAP. He learns how to deal with it right up to the surprising end. A great deal of time and effort was invested in the illustrations of this book, as well as the idea behind the story, and binding it all together into a lovely children's story with great values. BUY Andrew’s Claim to Fame HERE
 

Noah’s Petting Zoo by Idan Hadari

This is a wonderful children's bedtime & dreaming story about an old house (Noah) in a new neighborhood, which is about to be demolished to make way for a new building. Andrew, a young child, who loves to play with his friends nearby, is doing everything he can to save the old house. Will Andrew be able to save the old house Noah? Well, you'll just have to read the book to find out what happened. More about this Children's Zoo Book: The short story demonstrates to children how to crusade for what they believe in; to be more environmental friendly; how to help one's fellow man; what true friendship is; and of course, to like and to play with all of the adorable animals in the story. Bonus - A FREE Video Book Inside BUY Noah’s Petting Zoo HERE
 

CHRISTIAN FICTION

Shadows of Doubt by Susette Williams

Raffealle Gellermine has a very protective uncle and two protective brothers. They never like the men she brings home. Mathew Flannigan has a past, but for the life of her, she can’t figure out why her Uncle Rob and her brothers are trying to encourage a relationship between them. Could her brothers be right? Does she unconsciously choose the wrong type of men? Can she trust Mathew? Especially with her heart? Will shadows of doubt keep Raffealle from finding true love? Or will Mathew steal more than her heart? BUY Shadows of Doubt HERE
 

 

Falling in Love by Susette Williams

Katie Morgan has her future planned. It doesn't include becoming serious about anyone before she achieves her goals, not even her handsome boss. Just because she does not have time to date, doesn't mean her boss shouldn't. Her new mission...to make her boss happy, whether or not he wants to be. Wade McAlester fell in love with Katie the first day she walked into his clinic looking for a job. He hired her, content to settle for friendship until she lives out her dream of becoming a vet. Against his better judgment, Wade allows her to fix him up with a couple of her friends. The dates are disastrous. He can't believe the kind of women Katie seems to think he'd enjoy spending his life with. However, when Wade's old colleague, Dr. Laura Redmond shows up, Katie is rethinking how happy she wants her boss to be, and with whom. Definitely not the gorgeous doctor. BUY Falling in Love HERE

 

Honorable Intentions by Susette Williams

Have you ever wished you had a second chance with someone? Brand Stanford married Monica because she claimed to be carrying his child. Their marriage was one of convenience--for her. When they had finally become a happy family, Monica was killed in a skiing accident. Now, Brand is faced with having to raise their three-year-old daughter on his own. Tessa Duggan's family had been lifelong friends with the Stanfords; and even remained in contact with them after moving out of state. Tessa kept secrets to herself for nearly ten years. She'd loved Brand for as long as she could remember. Having raised a son on her own, Tessa knows what it's like to be a single parent. When Brand's wife dies in a skiing accident, Tessa agrees to help Brand's mother take care of his three-year-old daughter during the summer. Is it a chance for them to start over again? Or will Brand break her heart the second time around? BUY Honorable Intentions HERE

 

Christmas in Nashville by Elaine Littau

Bill and Betty Wall's popularity in the Country Music Scene is growing. Looking from the outside-in everything about her life seems perfect. Being a newlywed is nothing like she imagined and worry about Joey, her brother who is MIA from the Vietnam War, keeps her up at night. Betty's parents had tried everything they could think of to get information about him only to find that he was released from a POW camp and sent to the USA. Where could he be? Why didn't he come home to Oklahoma? After receiving a letter from a private investigator in regards to the child she put up for adoption over two years ago, Betty's life was further complicated. Her hopes were high that she might be able to mother the child she gave away only to be faced with court appearances and setbacks that stretched her faith in God to the limit. BUY Christmas in Nashville HERE
 

Walk Slowly Through the Dark by Elaine Littau

As soon as the wedding bells stopped ringing Roy and June Miller had to make adjustments in living as a married couple. Roy was a rough and gritty lawman who struggled to express emotions for his wife. June was a love-starved woman who had never heard words of endearment expressed in the way her heart needed. Would a separation make the marriage stronger or kill the love that had begun to grow? Set in the 1880s, Walk Slowly Through the Dark, takes the reader into the high altitude of a mountain top in Colorado. New characters are introduced and familiar characters face their own walk through the dark in hopes of reaching the light. BUY Walk Slowly Through the Dark HERE
 

Capture the Wandering Heart by Elaine Littau

In 1866 Palo Duro Canyon, Texas, a medicine woman's skills were put to the test as her little boy, Nobel, watched. A series of events began on that day and eventually drove him from the place that he loved until, years later, he returned to the canyon with his wife, Myrtle, and their children, There they fight against evil from the past and present. Myrtle and her friend, Sally, were rescued from a brothel as children. Sally takes the arduous trip to Texas in search of the mother who sold her to the evil man who took the girls to the mining camps of Colorado. Filled with romance, adventure, and history, Capture the Wandering Heart will hold you to the last page. BUY Capture the Wandering Heart HERE
 

Time and Again by Deborah Heal

It’s like being there. . . only you can fast forward or rewind. Abby thinks tutoring a “disadvantaged adolescent” as her college service project will be a snap. But the girl has been closed down ever since her parents’ divorce, especially since she was forced to move to a dilapidated old house. But then their crazy computer program invites them to “Take a Virtual Tour"…a tour of the past when the house was new and a girl named Charlotte Miles lived there 160 years before. BUY Time and Again HERE
 

 

Unclaimed Legacy by Deborah Heal

The olden days aren’t all they’re cracked up to be . . . Abby's time-surfing software comes in handy when she and her friends agree to help the "Old Dears" next door with their family tree. Except they learn more about one of the ladies’ ancestors than they ever wanted to know. Convicted in 1871 of murder and arson, Reuben Buchanan is a blight on the family’s reputation. But was he really guilty? Abby and John must get inside the mind of a murderer to find out. BUY Unclaimed Legacy HERE
 

 

 

Every Hill and Mountain by Deborah Heal

Visiting another century...not the summer vacation she had planned. Those who have read Time and Again and Unclaimed Legacy know that Abby Thomas is a college student on a summer service project. And they know that she has discovered a strange computer program that lets her fast-forward and rewind life. Not her own, of course, but those of the people who used to live in old houses. But "time-surfing" in the Old Slave House is almost too much to bear. Yet Abby and her friends are reminded that God is in the business of redemption--that one day he'll make all things new. BUY Every Hill and Mountain HERE

 
Laura J Marshall A Heart's Home
 Born in England and raised in India by her father after her mother's untimely death, Asyra has been ostracized from her small village most of her life. News of her impending marriage arranged by her grandmother back in England only serves to confuse her further about who she is and where she fits in. When Madras is attacked by the French before Asyra's ship sails, she must pretend to be the wife of her grandmother's agent, who happens to be the elder brother of her intended. Can she move beyond prejudice to find her place in the world? BUY A Heart's Home HERE
 

 

 

 

 

 

A Brother’s Vow by Naty Matos

Randall Benson didn't think life could be any better. His job with the family business allowed him to travel and meet new people. His relationship with his girlfriend the model, gave his access to all the red carpet events and parties, yet there was no requirement for him to be faithful. Although his family doesn't approve of his careless lifestyle, they love him and do whatever they can to keep him from self-destructing. Yet Randall’s only concern is Randall. Randall’s world begins to come undone after a series of unexpected events. As Randall tries to settle down and become more dependable , his twin brother Brian seems to be headed down a path that Randall is way too familiar. Brian makes an unusual request that nonchalantly he agrees to keep. He never thought that he would have to keep his word, but he does. As Randall struggles to fulfill his promise to his brother, he is confronted with challenges from his past. Will he succumb to his past and risk losing everything he’s worked so hard to accomplish? BUY A Brother’s Vow HERE




Street Justice Charlie's Angel Samantha Fury
Charlie's life in Northern Ohio is ordinary and consistent. When her dad loses his job, fighting becomes an everyday event. Moving in with her sister only makes matters worse. Her life is turned upside down. In a desperate attempt to find a safe haven,she ends up on the streets of Chicago. Here she's introduced to a different kind of world. A place where crime lords and women of the night come out to play. Charlie finds herself at the mercy of Rico DeLusa, a local crime lord. When she begins having feelings for one of Rico's employees, Angel Blackwell, she wonders if she's out of her element. Is she being drawn into their world, instead of being a light in a dark place? Blackmail, prostitution and drugs were never a part of her life, but they are now. Charlie finds herself in the middle of a fight between good and evil. She needs the strength to overcome, the wisdom to make the right choices, and the insight to follow what is right Instead of listening to her heart. BUY Charlie’s Angel HERE

 

The Assumption of Guilt by Amanda Tru

Nobody stops to think what it would be like to be arrested. That just doesn't happen to normal people, right? When a major theft happens at a party she's attending, Sophie James finds herself the prime suspect. Has she been framed or was she just in the wrong place at the wrong time? Now Sophie must convince the police, along with her cop boyfriend, that she's innocent. With no record, no motive, and no evidence, that shouldn't be difficult. Then why does no one seem to believe her? BUY The Assumption of Guilt HERE

 

Sherry Chamblee Babel's First Light
Her secret could doom the world. His honesty could save it. Jaiyl had felt many things in her young life - betrayal, fear, loneliness, anger - but never the love of a family. She was trained only to keep the family's many secrets. She was different, set apart, special they said - which really meant alone. Until one day, everything changed. Jaiyl must come to trust God, and those around her, or all was lost. Van knew there was an entire world out there beyond his mountains, but he could never quite bring himself to get up and go see it. Then someone from out there came to him. He gets thrown into a fight he didn’t start, with powerful people who don’t want to be found. He has to figure out what really conquers all, before it’s too late. Jaiyl is all secrets and fear, Van has nothing to hide, nothing to fear. Together they must fight for the freedom of those they love. BUY Babel’s First Light HERE

 
Sherry Chamblee Matchmaker Matchmaker
When a new guy comes to town, it’s time for the matchmaking to begin. Jack Adams came to Paradise because of a teaching job at the local Christian school, but he soon realizes that there are people in the church who have much bigger plans for him. With at least two eligible, unattached young ladies in the church, Jack finds himself the gold medal prize in a matchmaking competition worthy of the Olympics. Can he avoid being handed over in the winner’s circle? Will love find him anyway? BUY Matchmaker, Matchmaker HERE
 

 

NONFICTION

Words of Jesus Bible American Standard Version edition prepared by Russell Sherrard

Words of Jesus Bible – American Standard Version. This Bible is NOT a complete Bible, it just contains the words of Jesus. Therefore, it does not contain any of the Old Testament. If you look at any Bible that has “a red letter edition” you will have a “Words of Jesus Bible”. Since the Kindle is in black, white, and shades of gray, you cannot easily tell what the Words of Jesus are. This edition puts the words of Jesus in Red. On the Kindle they appear a lighter gray than the rest of the text. Of course, on the Kindle apps for iPhone, iPad, Blackberry, Kindle for PC, Kindle for Mac or the Kindle Fire these words appear in red. To try and keep the context the entire verse which Jesus speaks is included. BUY Words of Jesus Bible American Standard Version HERE
 

Words of Jesus Bible King James Version edition prepared by Russell Sherrard

Words of Jesus Bible – King James Version. This Bible is NOT a complete Bible, it just contains the words of Jesus. Therefore, it does not contain any of the Old Testament. If you look at any Bible that has “a red letter edition” you will have a “Words of Jesus Bible”. Since the Kindle is in black, white, and shades of gray, you cannot easily tell what the Words of Jesus are. This edition puts the words of Jesus in Red. On the Kindle they appear a lighter grey than the rest of the text. Of course, on the Kindle apps for iPhone, iPad, Blackberry, Kindle for PC, Kindle for Mac or the Kindle Fire these words appear in red. To try and keep the context the entire verse which Jesus speaks is included. BUY Words of Jesus Bible King James Version HERE
 

Interactive Romans Road American Standard Version edition prepared by Russell Sherrard

Long Ago, when the Roman Empire was at the height of its glory, a common saying was "All Roads Lead to Rome." I want to tell you about a very special road -- a road that existed then and still exists now. This road, now almost 2,000 years old, has never led to Rome. Yet, strangely enough, it is called the Romans Road. This takes the reader to selected passages in the Book of Romans in the Bible to explain the plan of Salvation. This is the ideal way to share the gospel using your Kindle. The reader can also read the entire book of Romans un-interrupted. BUY Interactive Romans Road American Standard Version HERE
 

Sunday, December 22, 2013

A Giveaway from the Tis the season to read

Tis the Season Reading: from  Kristin King Author's Blog

Check out the Novels below you can win in this giveaway 

Samantha Lovern who also writes under Samantha Fury has a great Christmas-Christian read.  Maid for Martin  is a feature romance this month from the California Love Trilogy. It's a clean christian romance that is set around the Christmas Holiday.

You can enter to win this ebook if you sign up for the Tis the Season Giveaway launching this weekend find the contest link below.

In the story there is a bit of mistaken identity here that makes for a nice premise: The blurb says:
Martin Taylor is having issues with his live-in-love, Celia Carson. She’s not supporting his acting career and the upcoming Christmas party is stressing their relationship to a point of no return. On top of everything else he’s falling for the maid, Randi Sanders. Martin’s timing is always off, he never thinks things through, and to make matters worse, Randi has no idea he’s really Martin Taylor. She thinks he’s the limo driver. He hates to come forward with the truth because Randi’s making him feel like he hasn’t felt in years.
Do you watch book trailers?  Try this one via youtube link here.


Here are what some of the reviews say about this 4 Star read:
“I couldn’t put it down.”
“You have double-entendres, cat and mouse pacing, and great character development.”
“It has a great storyline with a twist that will make it impossible for you to put this one down!”
“I love books that are a series of books – it allows the reader to better get to know the characters in the book – it is almost like a tv series.”

 Buy “Maid for Martin” today or do what I did as an Amazon Prime member and borrow it for free. You can also listen to the audiobook while traveling this holiday by visiting this link at Audible.com.



Scruffles Finds a Home,  A heart warming tale of a little field mouse at Christmas. Look at the book here.http://www.amazon.com/Scruffles-Finds-Home-Barbara-Derksen/dp/1481122738















Check out the Audiobook that you could win from Audible too here 
Thank God for the dogs, thinks Sam, otherwise I'd go crazy. It's been over five years since a deadly plague swept the world and Sam is the only person left alive...at least as far as he knows. He roams a desolate land already rapidly reverting to nature with his canine companions. But there is still danger, and Sam may not be as alone as he thinks. The Last Man is a refreshing and compelling post-apocalyptic short novel.
©2012 Charles Ryan King (P)2013 Ryan King











  a Rafflecopter giveaway

Friday, December 20, 2013

ACX and the Stipend part 3

My Audio Adventures Part 3:  Stipend with ACX. 
Part 1
Part 2 
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5

Surprise Stipend

I'll explain this with the letter that I recieved from ACX. I was shocked and happy, and shocked. This letter told me that they had great faith in my novel that it was going to make them a lot of money. That made me worried, and relieved at the same time.  Here is the letter straight from the ACX team.



Dear Samantha Lovern 
Congratulations! I’m pleased to inform you that your book, Maid for Martin (California Love Trilogy), was recently featured in ACX’s weekly Audition List. This email includes our picks for noteworthy books, ready to be made into audiobooks and is received by over 10,000 ACX producers. By including Year of the Dead (Sustainable Earth) in this email, we hope you receive additional auditions for your title and find the right voice to produce your audiobook. For advice on casting your book, visit the ACX blog

Furthermore, we’ve made Maid for Martin (California Love Trilogy) eligible for a $100 per-finished-hour production stipend, paid for by Audible.  You, along with narrators and producers searching for titles, will now see a green banner indicating this on the title’s profile page*.  Please be sure to review the basics of the stipend offer when considering the production timeline.  Titles must be fully completed and approved (by you) within 60 days of the producer’s acceptance of the offer, so please keep this in mind when making offers to producers.
We look forward to hearing your audiobook,

The ACX Team


SHOCKING
You can imagine my shock $100 an hour for little old me. WOW!  I was like yes Lifetime here I come. That is a dream of mine to have Maid for Martin made into a movie and I think that will happen some day. I dream big.

How do you get your book into the Stipend?  The only 2 people I know that won this gift was myself and a friend. Both had covers by me, Fury Cover Design, both were Christmas novels and looked to have some romance.  I wish I knew more I would try to get this bonus for other novels too. It made finding a narattor a lot easier.




Now onto the questions that Authors have had so far.

An author friend of mine, Alana Woods asked two very good questions.
When you do a royalty split, is it for a set time, or forever?

I spoke to ACX, the royalty split lasts for 7 years. Yes I know that is a long time, but when you don't have the funds up front, it's what your left with. Do you jump in and make some money or make no money. I opted to make some money, and to try out the process to see if I liked it.


Partners for 7 years
Don't go into this thinking . . . someone's taking half of my money. Stephanie Bentley worked hard, she read the book and did it like the pro she is. There is no way I could have done this.  She brings the novel to life, she can sound like a man, woman, an old lady a child, she is awesome.  She is my partner, we are in this together, we both want Maid for Martin to succeed.

We worked together. She even pointed out mistakes, and I  I listened to make sure the Audio matched exactly to the E-book, so whisper sync would work. I think of Stephanie as a co-worker and I think that is the best way to enter the royalty split. I told her she was my partner in crime, though we don't plan on robbing banks anytime soon. :)




Alana Woods also asked.
I know you opted for the royalty split option, but did you by chance investigate how much a flat fee might be with ACX narrators?


Money Money Money 
I couldn't even think about paying upfront. I didn't have even 50 an hour and that was the lowest hourly rate I saw. Prices varied from 50.00 an hour and up.  Most of the narrators I liked were in the 200.00 hourly range.  I also didn't want to go in to this not knowing what I was doing, so I wanted to go the royalty split, that way I knew the person on the other side of the mike would care how the audio turned out. They would work hard on getting it out fast, because not only would it be my name on the line but theirs too. 

The last question for the day is from a great author friend, and the Host of the hit online show Indie Authors, Jason Matthews. Once the applause dies down I'll speak. :)  Jason's question was.  What's the uploading process like with audio files once the book is recorded?

This is my next topic but I'll touch lightly on this question. It went fast for me because we had the Stipend hanging in the balance and we wanted to get the book out there for Christmas.  I have a feeling that each narrator works differently. 

Stephani had done this several times already so she had a plan in mind from the start. She started out with reading a few chapters and then she went back and started recording. Then when she had finished about 5 chapters I would review them.  It was a fast process and I'll get to it in more detail in the next blog so don't forget to look for it.

Thanks Jason Matthews, and Alana Woods great questions.

Part 1
Part 2 
Part 3
Part 4
Please excuse any mistakes I'm churning these posts out as fast as I can because I have a huge audience awaiting these posts, and I know a lot of you are on the fence on if you should go with ACX or not. Please comment with any questions.


Samantha Fury is the author of  the Street Justice Series
She's written many articles on book covers, for Indie Authors.  
She operates several Indie Groups. Editing Services, Cover Artist, 
Helpful Indie Facebook Groups, and a wonderful Forum 
Check out Samantha's premade covers here

Part one here
Part two here

Images by
Javier Brosch
From Bigstock  
 
  

ACX Audiobook Adventures Part 2: Choosing a Narrator

ACX Audiobook Adventures Part 2: Choosing a Narrator 

Did you miss a post check them all out. 
Part 1
Part 2 
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5 
Narrators Narrators Everywhere 

This was fun, but infuriating at the same time, because there are so many great narrators.  I actually started looking at their narrators about 6 months before I had made up my mind to go with ACX. I have a long history with audiobooks.  I've listened to so many of them, over the last 18 years while traveling cross country in an 18 wheeler I couldn't wait to turn some of my novels into an audiobook.

I looked into finding a male and female team to read my novel, but after listening to the few samples out there, I decided that it would be too distracting.  The way the readers would switch back and forth it seemed to not enhance the process but take from it.  I will admit that there were not many choices in this department. I would consider my opinion on this topic if I could ever find two narrators with voices that are closer in range.




Narrowing down the field 

Once you've got in mind about ten Narrators that you think will go well with your novel then it's time to upload your book to ACX if you have not already.  I suggest that as soon as you even consider going with ACX, that you start picking out Narrators.  My first list consisted of about fifty women and men that I chose for various reasons.

Uploading your novel is a simple process you follow the step by step instructions, upload your information what you're looking for in a narrator, and your sample of your novel.  The site will give you details on how long, to make your sample. It will also tell you to make it something important, something with dialogue. Maybe a romantic, or a fight scene. You won't want to go with the very first part of the book, but something that will show of some emotion and help you decide.



Email call write a note

Also, don't wait for narrators to find you, go ahead and jump in there and send out messages to some of the narrators you think will suit your novel.  Is your MC young, old, male, female, does she have an accent, there are a lot of things to consider.  There are a lot of novels going into audiobooks, so be sure and ask for at least ten narrators to read for you.  I'm sure you will find that some of them are busy and can't work on a project right now.


Here is a few screen shots to help you get an idea of how things work.  You can chose many topics to help you narrow down your list of Narrators. Click on the image to make it bigger and you can read the different topics.

Here you can see that I've picked several topics to help me narrow down my search. It's very helpful. Maybe you only want women narrators, or a narrator with a accent, or maybe you want an older female. There are so many helpful  ways to eliminate hearing voices that you know won't be right for your novel.
You can also just type in the name of the narrator if you wish. I have been told that even if you know which narrator you want to use, you still will need to option the book out and allow others to read for you. When I first placed Maid for Martin out there I received about 12 offers and I will showcase each of those members soon on my blog.

Here is one more screen shot to show you how you can chose to listen to a narrator you like. You you can see the samples they have posted on the site for you to listen to. Most of them have at least five or more versions of how their voice can sound. These samples can be very useful in helping you decide if you want a particular narrator to read for you.

Stephanie Bentley the narrator I finally chose has over 20 samples on her page and that was a great help hearing her voice in many different tones and accents. I really enjoyed hearing different samples. If you have several characters in your book you will want to pick a narrator that can do many voices.


If you have any questions please comment below, so I can answer. This is a long process and it's very possible that I'll miss something along the lines.  Remember it's never to soon to start trying to pick out a narrator.  There are many of them out there so go over to ACX and take a listen. 


Samantha Fury is the author of  the Street Justice Series
She's written many articles on book covers, for Indie Authors.  
She operates several Indie Groups. Editing Services, Cover Artist, 
Helpful Indie Facebook Groups, and a wonderful Forum 
Check out Samantha's premade covers here


Images by
Javier Brosch
From Bigstock  



 




Wednesday, December 11, 2013

ACX Audiobook Adventures Part 1

ACX Audiobook Adventures Part 1

Hello everyone!  For the next several post we will be talking in great detail about my Audio Book Adventures with ACX, Audible, iTunes, and Amazon.  I hope that if any of you have specific questions post them in the comments.
Here is all four installments so far. 

Part 1
Part 2 
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5 

WHY AUDIOBOOKS 

The first thing we'll talk about is why should you add audiobooks to your list of things to do.  Well, there are several reasons for you to move into this fast growing business.

1. The Blind reading audience
2. Those that travel, truckers is a huge Audiobook audience.
3. It makes you look more genuine as an author. 
4. It brings your book to life to have a great Narrator read your novel. 
5. If you don't you're missing a huge audience of readers
FINE PRINT 

   The first thing I did was procrastinate six months. If you read the list of things you are signing up for it can be very daunting.  I suggest you do read them, and try to understand them, and if you can't call ACX, they are very helpful and have a great team waiting to answer questions.

My two main reservations, were signing away my book rights for 7 years, and going the royalty split and having to share my earnings. I looked and prayed for a long time and decided it was either jump in or just lose out.


Decisions  Decisions

I decided at this point in my life, I can't afford to do this on my own. I am not a great reader, and I knew if I was going to capture this audience I was going to need to find a great reader and quit worrying about splitting royalties and giving my book to Amazon, iTunes, and Audible for seven years.

This is a test. I chose a book in the Romance genre and started looking at the narrators that were out there. In a year or so I may learn that it was a mistake, or that it was a great investment, only time will answer those questions. For now I'm happy, I love the narrator I chose, and I think the audiobook will do well, the only problem is how in the world do you market an audio book.
 
That question we'll get to later when I know the answer, or at least some part of it.  For now we will focus on ACX. As in all sites you'll need to set up an account, get all of your information in there email and such and then chose which book you want to get out there into the hands and ears of audio listeners.

I went with Romance because it is the best selling genre out there, or one of the best and I thought Maid for Martin would do well. It has a great cover, and a great hook and it's a trilogy so if it does well folks will want to listen to all three books.


LOOK CLOSER

As I mentioned you will want to look over the fine print on ACX and I'll be honest there is a lot of reading to do, and it's not all easy to figure out. I myself called them several times.One thing that I have learned is that they do not do CD's. When all is said and done there will not be a hard copy of anything to place on your shelf at home. That so far is the only thing I'm disappointed in.

It will be up to you to decide which genre to go with, and while I'm thinking about it, ACX sets the price on how long your audio book will be. There is a chart for this. Maid for Martin was a tad over 10. hours so it is in the 25.00 range.

The hardest choice, after deciding if you going with ACX is choosing a narrator.  I'll talk about that in the next post.

Thanks for reading
Samantha



Samantha Fury is the author of  the Street Justice Series
She's written many articles on book covers, for Indie Authors.  
She operates several Indie Groups. Editing Services, Cover Artist, 
Helpful Indie Facebook Groups, and a wonderful Forum 
Check out Samantha's premade covers here


Images by

Javier Brosch
Gemenacom
From Bigstock 


Part two of this article go here










Monday, December 9, 2013

NaNo Is over!!! Now what?

Now that the NaNo Dust has settled what do we do now?

We'll get this out of the way What is NaNo? Go Here


50K & Beyond 
Finally November is over and you have hit that mark so what do we do now. Do we put this book on the shelf and forget it or do we do something with it.  Well, this is a personal decision but normally I will take a month off, read my new masterpiece (LOL) and go back learning the book and getting the characters fresh in my head. Then I start writing and do my best to finish it.



THE ENDING 
My problem with Novels, is editing and endings, everything else comes easy. I don't have any trouble coming up with a new novel or even the first 30K, but wrapping things up, that is another story.   When wrapping up be sure & keep a calendar so your days and weather etc is correct. You will want to check each character to see that his or her part of the story has closure.




IT'S WRITTEN WHAT NOW?

If you did win Nano, then you might want to think about checking out those free coupons that Createspace is offering to all of this years Nano winners. They are giving away two free proofs of that wonderful novel you just finished. This is a great step in getting into self publishing. This is how it all started for me back in 2010.


A COVER

If this is your first proof there is a lot to learn, but Createspace makes it easy for the beginner to be able to upload a cover for your first novel. The first time I did this I made my own front image from an old image I took with a 35 MM Camera. I don't suggest you do that, but it will work.   This image to the right was my first cover. I took an image of Dallas, TX that I took and just placed it on the cover.  I've came a long way since those days, but it did the job it got me hooked and on the road to being an Indie Author.




WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS
If you want to be a Published Author, join some writing groups and you'll want to read over your novel about five to ten times to get everything right. If this is not your first novel it might not need this much attention

You'll want some Beta readers. These readers will look over your book and tell you general things, like they hated the ending, or they don't like that you have your female MC crying all the time. Maybe your lead Male is not believable. Beta readers can be very helpful.

After the beat readers you'll want to get a professional editor if you can, and if not then find someone in your family that is great with punctuation. Maybe you know a teacher that would check the book for you for mistakes.  Also in this day and age you can often barter for trade to get your book edited. Maybe you're good at marketing or cover design never hesitate to approach someone with an offer for exchange of services.  This is just some general suggestions to get you moving in the right direction.


FINAL SUGGESTIONS

If you are a first time author, please let another author look at your work. Don't take the advise of your mother- best friend, you want a professional to help you. There are many things that could be wrong that a reader would never notice.

There is POV (point of view), show don't tell, chapter length, paragraph length. You'll want to really work on that first chapter to make sure it really draws in the attention of your readers. There are the arguments of 'prologue or not to prologue.' There are a lot of things that another author will notice that no one else will.

You'll want a pro to look over your cover too, nothing is as bad as an Indie doing their own cover for the first time. You don't want your novel to scream I made this cover myself. There are many affordable premade covers out there. I make covers myself and I have great prices for those Christian's that join our Christian Indie Author groups on Facebook.   Here is a progression of my novels over the years. Learn from my mistakes and if you are not an artist don't spend years becoming one like I have just buy a great cover.

MY COVER PROGRESSION 
This is my first two covers. 



Here was my next version of my Street Justice Series 

Then here is where I'm at now, you can see these are much better and who knows I may re do them at some point but I don't think so. 



YOUR CHOICE 

Whatever you chose, do so wisely. I will say that there is nothing like holding your own book in your hand and looking down and saying I did this. I love just going by my own book shelf at home and breezing by my novels. There is normally a small window to get your novels finished so also check out those expatriation dates on those coupons.

If your book is not all the way done go ahead and use those coupons and get that cover ready so you can see how the book is coming along. It will spur you on to finish your own books. Thanks for reading and if you have any questions join one of our many groups that will be listed below.
Samantha Fury is the author of  the Street Justice Series
She's written many articles on book covers, for Indie Authors.  
She operates several Indie Groups. Editing Services, Cover Artist, 
Helpful Indie Facebook Groups, and a wonderful Forum 
just for Indie Authors. 

Check out Samantha's premade covers here









If you didn't win Nano don't forget this post HERE

Welcome to my blog

Welcome to my blog. Mom just got home from getting 5 new stichtes. Here I am going to bed at 6 a.m. Not a good thing. I hope to soon get som...