A few weeks ago, my publisher Riverhaven Books forwarded an Amazon opportunity to participate in a trial for their new virtual voice recording of a qualifying book.
Well, I jumped at the chance for an audio version of my debut Gwen Andrews Mystery. In little more than a week, my publisher advised that the virtual recording of ‘The Uninvited Guest’ was available for review. So quickly? I was more than blown away. In my previous research for a human narrator, I’d found the process not only expensive, but the time required could stretch into months.
Half-expecting a metallic computer voice, I was pleasantly surprised by the inflections of the virtual female’s narration. A few words were skipped in the introduction, but a minor flaw in the overall scheme of the recording. I was more than pleased.
Not knowing how many of my mysteries would be permitted for the trial, my publisher submitted the remaining stories in my Gwen Andrews series, plus the standalone contemporary novel ‘The Life She Left Behind’. Within another week, virtual recordings of my other 5 books appeared on my Amazon page!
What a delightful turn of events! If you’re curious about these virtual audio recordings, here’s a link to ‘The Uninvited Guest’ that includes a 5-minutes sample listen:
To all the writers out there… whether you write fiction or non-fiction, regardless of your genre… have you been more productive during our self-isolation?
While snow-birding in Florida, I’ve scheduled my Author Talk at local retirement communities. Those planned events came to a screaming halt earlier this week when the governor issued suggested restrictions to tamp down the spread of this nasty little virus.
Every fiction writer knows the frustration of plotting their story. Especially with a mystery, such as I create, the plot not only needs to proceed logically toward the climax, but the characters, dialogue, and actions within each scene need to be believable to the reader as the clues are subtly inserted into the story.
As I settle into my third year of snow-birding in Florida, I continue to work with my writing group back in Massachusetts by emailing chapters back and forth, soliciting comments and suggestions. Our system seems to work very well, and in fact, I think we’re more productive!
This Wednesday afternoon, I’m returning to Upton, MA, to participate in a follow-up interview with Jan Lewis, hostess of the Upton local cable show ‘Be My Guest’. We’ll be talking about the 3rd story in my Gwen Andrews mystery series ‘Bed, Breakfast, & Blackmail’.
I’m thrilled to announce that the 3rd story in the Gwen Andrews series is finally published!
Debi Graham-Leard 