Tuesday Tidbits: DO YOU HEAR WHAT I HEAR?

   After more than thirty books published, I’ve had the honor of having my first one put on audio format. Not the first book of mine that was published. It’s the first book in my Quilting Circle series.

   It has been interesting to go through the process. Because my Quilting Circle series is published through a small publisher, I have had a lot of input into things like the covers and now the audio version.
   First step was to find a narrator. We go through a site called ACX. I first needed to find a narrator. My publisher put up my novel as accepting auditions. I checked boxes for what I’m looking for in a narrator. Because I write romance, I felt a female voice would work best. I checked voice and style type. I needed a narrator with a general American voice; no distinct accent. I chose a storytelling type style. There were many other boxes I checked off as well. I can’t remember them now. This narrowed the list of possibilities from a gajillion to many thousands. We received a few auditions, but no one that really fit.
   So I went on the site and listened to a LOT of samples. Some had obvious hissing in the background, so I ruled those out, because I wouldn’t enjoy listening to a book with hissing. Others didn’t have the right voice or spoke to soft.
   I found a handful of narrators to start with that I liked what they had in their samples. I emailed them through the site and asked them if they would like to audition for my book. Some did and some didn’t.
   We decided on Pamela Gregory. My publisher sent her an offer, and she accepted. The next day, one of the other narrators I had asked to audition sent an audition. I had really liked her voice as well. We had to tell her sorry, but she could audition for one of my publisher’s other books that was open for auditions. I love Pamela’s cheerful voice and believe I have the right narrator. It was all in God’s hands.

   After that, the narrator records the first fifteen minutes or first chapter for approval. I listen to it while following along in the book for accuracy. I make notes of things that need to be fixed, whether it is an error in reading or how a portion is read. The narrator fixes those and sends a revised recording. Narrators don’t have re-record the whole chapter. They can simply record the sentence or portion in question, remove the bad copy, and slip in the new and improved portion in the appropriate place. It’s like magic to me. I wouldn’t have a clue as how to do that.
   Once the first bit is approved, the narrator records the rest of the book and usually sends a few chapters at a time. I listen to them as they come in and send my notes on what needs to be changed just like the first chapter.
   Then when all the chapters are approved, the project needs a producer. On ACX, a narrator is often also the producer. Mine is.
   Then the whole thing is uploaded to ACX for approval. A few weeks later, it is available for listening pleasure.
   The process was more interesting than it might have been because my daughter is a narrator/producer on ACX. She has always been very good at reading aloud. You may be wondering why she isn’t my narrator/producer. She is branding herself as a fantasy narrator, and I write Christian romance. If she didn’t already have fantasy projects she was reading for, she would have considered it. But it was more than a single book commitment. My publisher prefers to have the same narrator/voice for an entire series. It was fun talking to her about the process from her end.
   We just finished recording book two, which will be available in a few weeks, and we’ll start recording book three very soon.

   I love having some of my books as audio versions. I love this series and am so excited it’s going to be available in audio.

Book 1 THE WIDOW’S PLIGHT ~NOW AVAILABLE IN AUDIO!

A single mother steps out of the shadows of abuse and into the sunshine. But will a secret clouding Lily’s past cost her the man she loves? #TheWidowsPlight
Listen to it on Audible: https://www.audible.com/pd/The-Widows-Plight-Audiobook/B088HJLH4J?qid=1592671960&sr=1-1&ref=a_search_c3_lProduct_1_1&pf_rd_p=e81b7c27-6880-467a-b5a7-13cef5d729fe&pf_rd_r=KDZ2GD836E7CMPGYX21F
FREE Preview of eBook: http://a.co/1riJfrA

FREE Preview of the audio book: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qaUG-sN6Y_k 
A single mother steps out of the shadows of abuse and into the sunshine. But will a secret clouding her past cost her the man she loves? Get it here for FREE on Kindle Unlimited or Kindle to buy for $4.99 or paperback for $12.99: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07CV4XDLH/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_XaM.DbMKBGBG1

#TheWidowsPlight

Book 2 THE DAUGHTER’S PREDICAMENT (Coming soon to audio)

FREE Preview of eBook: http://a.co/4UXlRN5

Can a patient love win her heart? Or will a forced marriage be the end of her romantic dreams? Get it here for FREE on Kindle Unlimited or Kindle to buy for $3.99 or paperback for $12.99: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07NQZVNWY/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_WcM.DbRBRKVQ9

#TheDaughtersPredicament

THE DAMSEL’S INTENT (The Quilting Circle Book 3) #TheDamselsIntent #HistoricalRomance #FreeKU #KU #ChristianRomance
Can Nicole learn to be enough of a lady to snag the handsome rancher?
   Nicole Waterby heads down the mountain to fetch herself a husband, not realizing women don’t wear trousers or carry a gun. She has a lot to learn. Rancher Shane Keegan has drifted from one location to another to find a place to belong. When Nicole crosses his path, he wonders if he can have love, but he soon realizes she’s destined for someone better than a saddle tramp. Will love stand a chance while both Nicole and Shane try to be people they’re not?

Free on Kindle Unlimited, or $2.99 to buy ebook.

Get it here: https://www.amazon.com/Damsels-Intent-Quilting-Circle-Book-ebook/dp/B089DTXDCN/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=The+Damsel%27s+Intent&qid=1590863747&s=books&sr=1-2

#ChristianRomance #HistoricalRomance #Romance

MARY DAVIS s a bestselling, award-winning novelist of over two dozen titles in both historical and contemporary themes. Her 2018 titles include; "Holly and Ivy" in A Bouquet of Brides Collection, Courting Her Amish Heart, The Widow’s Plight, Courting Her Secret Heart , “Zola’s Cross-Country Adventure” in The MISSAdventure Brides Collection , and Courting Her Prodigal Heart . 2019 titles include The Daughter's Predicament and "Bygones" in Thimbles and Threads. She is a member of ACFW and active in critique groups.

Mary lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband of over thirty-five years and two cats. She has three adult children and two incredibly adorable grandchildren. Find her online at:

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