Author: Susana Imaginário

Narrator: Sarah Kempton

Length: 11 hours 36 minutes

Series: Timelessness, Book 1

Publisher: Susana Imaginário

Released: Apr. 30, 2020

Genre: Fantasy

Chronos, god of Time, and creator of the Universe, wants to destroy Eternity.A mysterious immortal seeks vengeance.And a reclusive Olympian deity does what no god should ever do: She answers a prayer. As punishment, she is stripped of her powers and trapped in a mortal’s body. Now a Wyrd – a fated god – she is haunted by the memories and thoughts of her host and must hide her true identity in order to survive in Niflheim, the rival Norse Underworld.There she discovers the afterlife is not quite what it used to be. Niflheim’s new ruler threatens the precarious balance of a world overrun with outcast deities and mortals alike.To save her own sanity and find her way back to the stars, she must help the other Wyrd overcome their grievances to defeat this enemy, but those who would be her allies appear to have motives as hidden as her fragmented consciousness.And yet it seems the greatest threat to her freedom comes from within, and the prize it seeks is her immortal soul….

Susana Imaginário lives in Ireland with her husband and their extremely spoiled dog. Her hobbies include reading, playing board games, hanging upside down, poking around ancient ruins, talking to trees and being tired. Her work combines mythology with fantasy and psychology in a strange way.

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Sarah has worked on nearly 40 audiobooks to date across various genres, as well as other voice over work from corporate explainers to video games. She has been working as a professional actor for 14 years and is a comedy improviser having performed all over the place from London to Edinburgh to New York and even Luxembourg.

Website

Q&A with Author Susana Imaginário

• Tell us about the process of turning your book into an audiobook.
  • I used ACX. It was a fairly simple and straightforward process.
• Do you believe certain types of writing translate better into audiobook format?
  • Yes, definitely.
• Was a possible audiobook recording something you were conscious of while writing?
  • Yes.
• How closely did you work with your narrator before and during the recording process? Did you give them any pronunciation tips or special insight into the characters?
  • I knew from the audition that Sarah had nailed the overall tone of the story, so I just sent her a summary of the main character’s personalities, speech patterns and accents. She took it from there.
  • The recording process went smoothly. I would listen to the chapters as soon as they were uploaded and send feedback shortly after. This avoided the repetition of misspellings and jarring edits.
• Are you an audiobook listener? What about the audiobook format appeals to you?
  • Yes. I like the ability to multitask and rest my eyes for a bit.
• Is there a particular part of this story that you feel is more resonating in the audiobook performance than in the book format?
  • Pretty much every bit of dialogue and inner monologues.
• What do you say to those who view listening to audiobooks as “cheating” or as inferior to “real reading”?
  • Nothing.
• What bits of advice would you give to aspiring authors?
  • Just keep writing. There will be bad days and terrible days and completely wasted days, but as long as you love to write, it’s all worth it.
• What’s next for you?
  • Complete the production of the audio version of The Dharkan (Timelessness book 2) and publish Nephilim’s Hex (Timelessness Book 3) on July 1st, if all goes well.
• Can you share with us something about Wyrd Gods that isn’t in the blurb?
  • The main character is Psyche, the goddess of the soul. I keep her identity secret for most of the book (unless the reader knows who the goddess of the soul is, of course). It’s part of the mystery, but since so many people don’t know about her (and therefore miss out on a lot) and her identity has already been spoiled in several reviews, I’m seriously considering changing the blurb to include this.

This book was very entertaining as somebody who doesn’t listen much to mythology books. This one really grabbed my attention. The characters felt like they were brought to life through the story. This is the first time I’ve ever listens to this voice actress and I thought that she did an amazing job. When it came to differentiating different voices I did find it a little difficult for the male voices. But overall she was very entertaining to listen to.

When it came to the overall production of the audiobook I thought you sounded very professional. There wasn’t any weird sound glitches. Overall I would highly recommend this book to anybody who loves anything to do with God‘s or just mythology in general.

I received this audiobook as part of my participation in a blog tour with Audiobookworm Promotions. The tour is being sponsored by Susana Imaginário. The gifting of this audiobook did not affect my opinion of it.

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Audiobook Review – Silver Spells

Author: Kate Moseman

Narrator: Xe Sands

Length: 6 hours and 12 minutes

Series: Midlife Elementals, Book 1

Publisher: Fortunella Press

Released: April 13, 2021

Genre: Paranormal; Women’s Fiction

Audiobook Review – Forever Lies: A Mafia Romance

Stuck in an elevator with the most gorgeous man I’d ever seen—
Who thought that kind of thing actually happened?

This man wasn’t just attractive; he was animal magnetism personified.
He was every crush and craving—each desire and fantasy—all rolled into one.

The problem?
There was something sinister lurking beneath that tempting façade.
Something dark and ruthless.

Luca Romano locked his sights on me the moment those elevator doors closed.
I couldn’t escape him, no matter how hard I tried.

There was a mutinous side of me that didn’t want to run.

As if I ever had a choice…

Review

I seem to be in a reading slump or it is taking me longer to finish books because I keep book hopping. Jill Ramsower created a great mafia tale. One of my favorite kinds of books to read. This is one book you should know nothing when going into it. So I will say this. The characters have some hot chemistry.

Mackenzie Cartwright and Teddy Hamilton are both amazing and very easy to listen. Mackenzie is a new voice actress to me. I love her. I will be listen to more from her. I’m a long time Teddy Hamilton listener. Both voices work well together. Their range is great and it was a great experience listening to both of them.

Thank you all for joining me here in our little part of wonderland. Please don’t forget to feed the unicorns on your way out.

Until next time

Happy reading

Much love

Ashten

Audiobook Review – The Devil’s Riders Books 4-5

I’m one of the Sons of Satan, part of an inner circle we call The Devil’s Riders. I was just a prospect when I first saw her. Becky Townsdale, the curvy girl who worked at Mae’s diner. She’s so pretty it hurts to look at her. I waited to make a move until I was officially a Devil’s Rider.

And then, the night of the club Prez’s wedding, I made her mine. Devlin and Kaylie might have gotten married that night, but we’re the ones who made a baby. I just didn’t know it yet.

Now she’s back in town to help Mae save the diner before it gets shut down. She’s avoiding me, but I’m not having it. I’ve waited a year to get over her, and it never happened. I want her back, this time for good. And that’s before I find out about the baby. She’s mine, and she doesn’t even know it yet.  

Women fall into my lap. Until an innocent beauty crosses my path and wants nothing to do with me.

I’m one of the Devil’s Riders, the inner circle of one of the biggest motorcycle clubs in California. My brothers and I live on the edge of society, and we like it just fine.

I’m swimming in easy women, but I’m easily bored. Then one day, I see her: Molly McRae. She’s easy on the eyes and sweet as pie. All I want to do is take a bite.

From the moment I see Molly, I’m on a mission. I chase her down and learn her name. Then I begin my campaign to make her mine.

I want to mark her. I want to tattoo her silky skin and kiss away her tears. 

Hell, I want to put my brand on her. My name. My ring. And I won’t stop until she’s mine.

Contains mature themes.

Review

This is the continuation of my last review books 4-5 there are two more book in the series and I’m still not sure if I’m going to continue with this series. I have loved every book that I have listened to. Joanna Blake is a fantastic author. Each book seriously got better. My favorite has to be book five. These characters I fell in-love with their story. Molly is the first character who is an actual “outsider”. She doesn’t start off knowing any of the other girls from the other for books. Which I thought was a great way to hook the reader.

I will say my only real criticism is going to be that by book five we have ten POVs. Which yes each one for the most part moves along the story. I just feel like it’s to much. I really just want to hear from the two characters that the book is about. Please write more book with the other characters. I mean there are five book that could have been five series that I would have happily sat there and listened to each one of those books. That is how much I love each set of characters. f

Troy Duran and Kendall Taylor are the two amazing voice actors for this series. I love both of them. Troy has a great balance when it comes to voicing both male and female characters. Kendall is great her range is fantastic. I could listen to her all and I have been for the last week.

Thank you all for joining me here in our little part of wonderland. Please don’t forget to feed the unicorns on your way out.

Until next time

Happy reading

Much love

Ashten

Audiobook Review – The Devil’s Riders Books 1-3

I’ve waited years for her to grow up. Now it’s time. I won’t be gentle and I won’t be kind. I’m taking what is mine. 

Kaylie: Wherever I went, I heard it: the sound of a purring motorcycle behind me. They never bothered me or said a word. But I knew they were there because of him. Devlin McRae, the head of the local MC. Being followed all the time like this was disconcerting. And lately, the bikes had been getting closer, less secretive, more obvious. What would I do if Devlin ever caught me?

Devlin: The first time I saw her, she was too young. I had to wait. I hated it, but I’d promised her mother I would wait for her to grow up. The sweet, little waitress from Mae’s diner was going to be mine. She just didn’t know it yet.

Janet:  

When my career as a dancer is sidelined due to an injury, I have no idea what to do with my life. My best friend, Kaylie, is dating the head of the Devil’s Riders, so I tag along when she hangs out at the club. That’s when I see him. The one they call the Viking. He never says a word, but his eyes burn into me. He watches out for me, even kisses me, but that’s it. The man refuses to take the next step.  

I know he wants me. I just need to tip the big guy over the edge. You know what they say about the big ones, right?  

Jack:  

I’m big and mean, and I don’t give a damn about anything but the Riders. But when the feisty redhead shows up with the Prez’s old lady, I’m told to watch her. Problem is, I can’t stop. I want my eyes and the rest of me on her. She’s a pain in the ass, but that doesn’t change biology. She’s mine for the taking, and I’m going to take her up on the offer. For good. I’m just not sure she can handle what I’m offering her. 

Sally:

I left behind my life to start over. My successful career as a country music singer, friends and family, everything. All to get away from my abusive, obsessive ex.  

So what if I’m lonely? So what if I miss singing and sequins? I’m safe, and that’s what matters. 

But the big biker with the blue eyes has other ideas. He makes me laugh and breathless all at the same time. He makes me want more. But it’s not safe. Not for either one of us.  

Donahue:

She’s the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen – and that’s before I ever heard her sing. Her voice cuts through the chatter, through the noise. Straight through to the emptiness inside me.  

Everyone thinks I’m happy-go-lucky, but she’s different. She sees right through me. And as much as I want her underneath me, tangled in my sheets, I want her beside me just as badly.  

She needs saving. She’s afraid to let me in. But what she doesn’t know is that I need saving, too. And she’s just the woman to do it.  

Review

This is a series that I found on a whim and I’m so happy that I found these books. I believe that there are seven in total. So there will be at least one more review on the rest of the series. I went into this thinking it was going to be a quick series to listen to. I was right about the first book. It was very quick but I thought there was a lot of things that could have been expanded upon. As you go through the series it seems like the plot it a lot more flushed out and you have to pay attention more on the little details of the story. Starting in book two it goes from mainly being a two POV to toward the end a few chapter of a four book POV. While I didn’t mind it took a minute for me to realize which character the voice actors were reading for.

Troy Duran and Kendall Taylor are the two amazing voice actors for this series. I love both of them. Troy has a great balance when it comes to voicing both male and female characters. Kendall is great her range is fantastic. I could listen to her all and I have been for the last week.

Thank you all for joining me here in our little part of wonderland. Please don’t forget to feed the unicorns on your way out.

Until next time

Happy reading

Much love

Ashten

Series Review – Artful Lies and Wicked Truths.

Hello, wonderlandians. How is everyone doing? It has been some time. This review is months in the making. All is well with me. The last stint of my pregnancy really kicked my butt and so did the delivery. I have not been reading at all.

An irresistible connection, a desire that won’t let go…

When aspiring antiques dealer Eleanor Cole is handed the chance of a lifetime to work for the Hunt Corporation, the renowned antiques dealers, she doesn’t think twice. Only to discover she’ll be working up close and personal with the notorious and insanely irresistible Becker Hunt. He is a man famous for getting what he wants, and Becker wants Eleanor.

But as Becker pulls her deeper into his world, she discovers there’s more to him than meets the eye.

And falling for Becker goes from being foolish to dangerous…

The second book in the brand new duology by the Sunday Times and New York Times bestselling author of the This Man series

A desperate passion, a dangerous love story…

Eleanor Cole had no idea that when she met the charmingly irresistible Becker Hunt, she was putting her life on the line. So when she discovers his secrets, escape seems to be her only option – but Becker isn’t ready to let Eleanor go.

She knows better than to fall into his corrupt world again, but how long can she resist when he’s stolen her heart?

Eleanor must make a choice, to stay and follow Becker into the heart of the danger…or risk losing him forever!

Becker Hunt is back and this time he’s not letting Eleanor walk away… 

Series Review

Move over Jesse Ward with your countdowns to make way for Becker Hunt and his sexy shhhh.

Jodi Ellen Malpas does it again! She is a master at creating a story that sucks you in.

This is one of the many reasons I love reading her books. It really is an escape. There were a lot of times in this series where I tried to predicted what the outcome would be. I was not even close. Typically, I’m very good at predicting what is going to happen in books because most all of romance books follows the same formula. I should have expected that Jodi doesn’t follow that formula but creates her own.

With these two books you are wrapped up in a fast romance with some treasure hutting. It really great to see a romance novel differ from all the rest out there. Jodi had crafted these characters so you feel like you know, that you are friends with them. By the time you look up you are done with the books.

This is one series that you just have to dive head first in. We wonderful writing and characters. You are not going to regret picking up these books.

Thank you all for joining me here in our little part of wonderland. Please don’t forget to feed the unicorns on your way out.

Until next time

Happy reading

Much love

Ashten

Hello Again…

and losing steam.

Hello, wonderlandians.

Wow it has been sometime since I have typed that.

First off how are all of you out there? I feel like I need to ask with the current state of the world.

I have been doing ok. The last time I posted was back in June. I think before that it was really May that I was really active. I announced that I was pregnant. Since then there has been a lot that has happened. I got married, gave birth to my daughter, and moved house. So there has been a lot going on that I feel like I lost my steam.

Since June I have not read one book.

This is crazy to me. I’m such reader that this break from reading has been weird to me. The pregnancy took a lot out of me and I just stopped reading and blogging.

I lost my steam and

Thats ok. I was really hard on myself because I wasn’t reading or blogging. We as bloggers, vloggers, and readers need to realize that it is ok to take a break and not feel guilty about that.

Well that is something that is I’m working on.

I will be posting regularly again very soon.

Audiobook review – good Mr. King

Author: Aidée James

Narrators: Ada Sinclair, Logan McAllister

Length: 6 hours 54 minutes

Publisher: Aidée James

Released: May 8, 2020

Genre: Erotic Romance

No one dominates me. Not the supermodels I’ve slept with, not the rich women whose necks I’ve dressed in diamonds. So, imagine my surprise when I get a drunken e-mail from an employee I’ve never met, containing not one, but dozens of erotic stories, all starring yours truly. And in every one of them, I’m a submissive. I should let it go, but I can’t. This woman needs to learn that John King gets spanked by no one.

When Mexican-American author Aidèe Jaimes isn’t chasing after her energetic daughter and spending time with her happily ever after husband in their Florida home, she’s living other lives through her characters. As her writing evolved into darker, sexier, no holds-barred stories, she transitioned from the pen name Haden Hudson, to the author she is today!

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The opening chapter starts with Ada Sinclair reading the book. When it comes to the narration Ada Sinclair does a really great job with her tone of voice. It’s very soft and her way of reading you get very comfortable with the tone of her voice. when it comes to the production of the sound it almost sounds like Ada Sinclair is a little too close to her microphone and you can hear every breath that she is taking in every inflection that she’s putting in on the words. While listening to Ada Sinclair her voice is very reminiscent to me of Angela Dawn. Both voice actress is our amazing. Angela Dawe is one of my favorite voice actresses of all times and listening to Ada Sinclair gave me the same joy I have while listening to the other voice actress.

One thing that was really interesting about this book is that at the beginning of every chapter there is a short story from the book that Winnie wrote. So it’s like listening to a book within a book. I love it. It adds a different twist to a romance novel.

Logan did a really good job of keeping me engaged in the story. Logan’s tone that he uses is great and consistent. He put emotion into the story really bring his parts to life. To me this is a big part of bringing the story to life. Logan has a great range of voices. I know who all of the characters are meant to be when he is voicing for them.

I received this audiobook as part of my participation in a blog tour with Audiobookworm Promotions. The tour is being sponsored by Aidèe Jaimes. The gifting of this audiobook did not affect my opinion of it.

Q&A with Narrator Ada Sinclair

• When did you know you wanted to be an audiobook narrator?
  • I’ve been acting for over 20 years professionally and working all sorts of day jobs in between. While doing a show three years ago, a friend of mine announced he had quit all his other part-time work and was exclusively getting paid to act and narrate. I was so intrigued I immediately started YouTubing and researching everything I could about it. I got some professional coaching, created a recording booth out of my closet in our spare bedroom, and haven’t looked back since.
• How did you wind up narrating audiobooks? Was it always your goal or was it something you stumbled into by chance?
  • Once I started researching narration, things like story arc, multiple character development, timing, and breath control all fit the bill for the numerous classes and workshops I had been going to as an actor. It seemed like everything I had been learning could be applied to books. Plus, I LOVED to read and was insatiable when it came to consuming stories. It was an absolutely perfect fit.
• Did you find it difficult to break into” audiobook narration? What skill/tool helped you the most when getting started?
  • The hardest part for me was learning the technical aspects of audio. How to best use the microphone, record and re-record so everything is seamless and do it for hours on end. There was definitely a learning curve and I wouldn’t have been able to do it without some juggernauts in the community like Don Baarns. Now I’m really well versed in not only recording but also editing and mastering and I have him to thank.
• A lot of narrators seem to have a background in theatre. Is that something you think is essential to a successful narration career?
  • I definitely think that my background has helped me. In school, we studied things like pacing and how alliteration and other word choices can clue you into the personalities and traits of a character. We delved very deeply into actions, motivations, and power struggles in various characters and I use all of it daily in my craft. I do think you can learn all of those things through coaching strictly for narration, but it helps me that I already have a foundation and years of experience to draw from.
• What type of training have you undergone?
  • I began singing in choirs and doing solos when I was 6. I started taking acting classes when I was 12 and went to college for acting at Florida State University and went on to study musical theater performance in New York at the American Musical and Dramatic Academy. I lived and acted in New York for 5 years before settling in Chicago with my husband and going through iO’s improv conservatory in the process. I’m currently a part of two professional theater companies here in Chicago and perform several times a year.
• How do you manage to avoid burn-out? What do you do to maintain your enthusiasm for narrating?
  • I truly enjoy the performance aspect of recording, so it’s not hard to get me into the booth. To avoid burnout for stories or genres that might be a little more difficult for me, I tend to keep myself on a schedule to record 1 to 2 finished hours several days a week, making sure to leave in vocal rest days and times to decompress. It’s the ideal, and sometimes I’ve been caught recording for hours on end to make a deadline, but overall it’s a strategy and balance that really works for me.
• Are you an audiobook listener? What about the audiobook format appeals to you?
  • Prior to narration, I hadn’t listened to many audiobooks. I didn’t particularly like the first few I had tried (I thought the voices in my own head made better choices, lol) but after starting on my own journey, I found some incredible narrators that I go back to again and again. I love listening to audiobooks while I’m driving and tend to like narrative stories then. For mundane tasks like laundry and/or cleaning, I’ll go for motivational self-help books.
• What are your favorite and least favorite parts of narrating an audiobook?
  • My favorite part has to be when I find each character’s voice and have them “checked in.” It’s a little like body switching when they are in a conversation, but if I can channel them both then it gets really fun to do arguments or flirty conversations. It’s like playing chess with yourself. My least favorite thing is definitely the pick ups. I am slightly dyslexic and often have small flubs like switched words. It makes it a process for both me and my very gracious proofer.
• What would you say are your strongest narration abilities?
  • I’ve been told that I can really embody the characters and create very distinctive voices. I tend to use a lot of variance in my vocal performance. My goal is always to allow the listener to recognize who is speaking without them having to be announced.
• Is there a particular genre you feel unsuited for? Have you ever declined a project because you didn’t think you were right for it?
  • I love narrating in quite a few genres. But I did turn down a book after I found out that the main character was African American and had a very distinct dialect. I love stretching myself as an actor, but I also believe that there are many other people better suited to tell stories with main characters that are people of color, and I believe they should be the ones cast.

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Audiobook Review – Instinct The Elite, Book 1

• Instinct
• The Elite, Book 1
• By: Hanleigh Bradley
• Narrated by: Debbie Soelter
• Series: The Elite, Book 1
• Length: 1 hr and 30 mins
• Unabridged Audiobook
• Release date: 01-14-20
• Language: English
• Publisher: Hanleigh Bradley

I’m not like the vampires in your books, little girl. I’m not agonizing over my own soul or the ethics of drinking your blood. I don’t want saving or to find some great love that will alter my very existence. I’m not a monster. I’m the devil himself, and I have no problem playing that role. I take what I want, and right now, what I want is you. And there’s nothing you can do to stop me. 

The Elite is a PNR series of novelettes.

Book Review

Hanleigh Bradley tells a story of a girl who lives in London and loves vampires but what happens when her books become her reality? Hanleigh Bradley really knows how to spin a tale even in the shortest of time. I can say much about the books because it is so short. I will say this though you will be on a ride. One that you will not want to get off.

Debbie Soelter has the type of voice that keeps you listening. She was reading for both the male and female lead. I thought that she did a great job when it came to the female lead and an ok job when it can to reading for the male lead. She had to put on a British accent. This added depth to the story and this is the party that keeps you listening.

The sound quality was great and professional. There were no sounds gaps or awkward pauses.

This book was given to me by the author in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you all for joining me here in our little part of wonderland. Please don’t forget to feed the unicorns on your way out.

Until next time

Happy reading

Much love

Ashten

Hello again!

Hello wonderlandian. So it’s been awhile since I have posted a blog. A few months ago I said that me and my fiance had some life altering news and I would probably share it in a couple of months. Sense I have gotten past the initial shock of this new as it came out of left field granted we are very very excited.

I did need to take some time away from my blog just to take care of myself and it’s not a decision I regret at all because in this time taking care of myself as what was best. So I thought I would pop on since I feel it is an appropriate time to share the news with you guys and. My fiance and I are expecting our 1st child in September. So I haven’t had much time for reading except it for pregnancy articles. that’s why there hasn’t really been any blog posts. I have this past month started reading a lot of books again so I will have some book reviews coming soon.