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:
There is nothing sweeter than setting up an author table at a holiday craft fair, then waiting for the browsers to wander past, stopping to chat about my characters, the setting, the storyline. If the two of us connect over my mystery series, another reader will walk away with one of my books, anxious to meet my amateur sleith Gwen Andrews.
A few months ago, I was contacted by the host of “Be My Guest”, an interview show on the Upton local cable station and scheduled for May.
After two years of sharing my writing journey with audiences in New England, Pennsylvania, Delaware, and Florida, I received a return invitation from the friends group of my local senior center to speak to them again about the current status of my writing life.
for your GPS: 10900 Walsingham Road, Largo, FL.
Debi Graham-Leard 