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Author: Kelly Gunderman

Narrator: Veronica Orosco

Length: 6 hours 15 minutes

Publisher: Kelly Gunderman

Released: Dec. 11, 2020

Genre: Young Adult

In this young adult thriller perfect for fans of Pretty Little Liars, Thirteen Reasons Why, and Sadie, a teenage girl is about to find out how far would she will go to get revenge on those who have taken everything from her. When 17 year old high school senior Kaitlyn Davis is almost raped and then brutally murdered at a party by three boys she goes to school with, she uses her dying breath to swear that they will pay for what they’ve done. When she wakes up the next morning, she is a bit blurry on the night before and gets a big surprise - she’s alive? How? Soon, things start getting weird - it seems as though no one can see her or hear her, and no matter what she does, she can’t seem to feel anything, such as temperature. She can still move things around and touch others, and the room suddenly drops about 30 degrees wherever she is, but why? That’s when she is forced to accept it - she’s dead. At first, Kaitlyn grieves the loss of her short life - there are so many things that she is going to miss out on, so many things that she will never get to do. But then she gets angry, and she remembers her promise to get revenge on those who had taken her life. Setting out to give them what they deserve, Kaitlyn has no plans to stop until she gets the revenge she desires.

 

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Q&A with Narrator Veronica Orosco

• When did you know you wanted to be an audiobook narrator?
  • I started my pursuit of acting in 2011, and had to do some voice over work for a short film I was a part of. When I saw the finished product and heard my voice over the film, I was like ‘wow, this could be something’. As I started my research into voice acting, audiobooks would come up often and I thought how fun it would be to lend the voices I like to just use for my own enjoyment, possibly bring some joy to those who could listen to me bring a story to life! My credits can be found on my IMDB page under Veronica Pierce, my stage name.
• How did you wind up narrating audiobooks? Was it always your goal or was it something you stumbled into by chance?
  • I started in audio dramas, perfecting my character voices before I landed my first audiobook, a vampire romance! It was something I stumbled upon, since I am an avid reader, loved the Twilight series and Harry Potter series, and thought what fun this would be to voice! I do love voicing in audio dramas so naturally seemed audiobooks were next on the list!
• Did you find it difficult to “break into” audiobook narration? What skill/tool helped you the most when getting started?
  • It was a bit difficult at first, since I had no prior audiobook experience or examples to showcase. I had to use commercial read excerpts or snippets from audio drama work I had done to show my performance capabilities, the different character voices I could do, etc. Also, learning about the audio quality, what it takes to properly edit an audio file to meet certain quality standards really helped to land me that first narration job.
• What are your favorite and least favorite parts of narrating an audiobook?
  • My favorite parts about narrating a book are becoming the characters in the story. I like to get to know each character by using the author’s descriptions of them and really hone in on what the author was trying to convey in their personalities. My least favorite parts are editing the audio files as this can be a very cumbersome yet fulfilling process, but I am a perfectionist so when I hear a small thing I dislike, I wind up re-recording the line all together which creates more work for myself.
• What about this title compelled you to audition as narrator?
  • I was intrigued by the title, so when I was browsing authors who were looking for narrators, I saw this book and clicked to read the synopsis and loved it! I thought this would be a great fit for me asn the title character was a young woman who is trying to solve a mystery of sorts and I was drawn in. So I took a chance and submitted a read for consideration, never dreaming I would actually get the chance to voice this amazing book!
• Who are your “accent inspirations”?
  • Ah, so much fun with accents! I do a British accent, Australian accent, Spanish accent, German Accent and Southern Accent fairly well and have used these in many of my projects. Accent inspirations for me are: Olvia Newton John, Kelly Macdonald, Emily Blunt, Sofia Vergara, Penelope Cruz, Reba McEntire, Holly Hunter, Rachel Weisz to name a few
• How did you decide how each character should sound in this title?
  • I read through this book first entirely first to get a good feel for each character. I took Kaitlyn under my wing and really just gave her my own voice, so I played her as if I truly was her. In Dana, I took inspiration from one of my closest friends to be able to understand how her friendship towards Kaitlyn played in this book, fun loving and her wild side! For the boys, I really thought about every boy I knew in my highschool days and gave them some character from the boys of my past. I was even inspired to open up my High School yearbook to take a dive into my own past.
• How does audiobook narration differ from other types of voiceover work you've done?
  • I think the biggest difference for me is that you have to be able to separate the strictly narration part of the book from the character voices themselves so there is some distinction. In other voiceover work I have done, you play a single character, or read in a singular voice and not have to juggle being distinctive in one sole recording.
• What do you say to those who view listening to audiobooks as “cheating” or as inferior to “real reading”?
  • To those who say this I would say, this is a new medium of enjoyment much like radio was back in the days before television existed. Really listening to someone bring words to life can open up your visual imagination much more than any movie with the best effects can! You really should give it a try to see how hearing a story being told rather than you reading it to yourself can make you appreciate what the sound of someone voice can do to elevate a book you may have already read, like never before!
• What bits of advice would you give to aspiring audiobook narrators?
  • Practice, practice, practice! That old adage is very true and I would suggest reading out loud to yourself and to anyone willing to be your audience! You can see how well of a storyteller you really are by seeing how you can successfully captivate your audience or even start to pick up on nuances in your voice that you may never have noticed. Most important, have fun!

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Author: Elle M. Holmes

Narrator: Linnea Hubbard

Length: 7 hours 29 minutes

Publisher: Elle M. Holmes

Released: Apr. 29, 2021

Genre: Science Fiction

The stories we read have the power to change our lives. Sadie Smith lives an ordinary life, unlike the extraordinary ones of the characters in the books where she finds an escape. Until one story changes it all: The story of the impetuous Killian Quinn: an agent for the Zeta Defense Agency, determined to avenge his fallen partner. As she follows him further down the rabbit hole, worlds collide when she awakens with her hands tied to a chair in the face of armed men. Sadie finds herself dropped in the middle of a battle between secret agencies she didn’t even know existed, but maybe where she’s belonged all along.

 

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• • Sadie: I’ve said it before I will say it again, this is the hardest dream cast member. But gun-to-my-head-opinion, I think as far as characterization goes Naomi Scott is probably the closest to the embodiment of Sadie.
  • Killian: Colin O’Donohue. He may be a little old for Killian now, unfortunately, but in my head, Colin is Killian.
  • Desmond: I think Dwayne Johnson would be an amazing Desmond. He’s got the commanding presence of a general, but can also play off the dad jokes and would be a great supportive big brother to Killian.
  • Valerie: Emma Thompson. Done. She is, was, and will forever be Valerie Stead. I wrote her with Emma Thompson in mind and it would be incredible to see her in the movie adaptation.
  • Bruno: This one has always been sort of fluid in my head, but if I had to choose, it would be an Andy Garcia type.

• • Petey: If I’m completely honest, Petey is actually based on a friend of mine (and he knows fully knows who he is and absolutely loves it as he’s a character in and of himself), so he has his own presence, but in my head Petey is very similar to a young Luther from Mission Impossible. So if I could time travel and get a young Ving Rhames, I’d have found my Petey.
  • Michael: While Michael may be a small character in this book, his role grows throughout the series. And in my head, I only heard Kumail Nanjiani while writing Michael.

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Date Published: Feb 7, 2021

Publisher: The Unseeing Eye

A man is running for his life. An army is deployed to hunt him down. He has no right to be there, he has no right to live. He is not considered human.

A man is on a mission. He is looking for the hunted, for those denied humanity. He is trying to save them, to deliver them to safety, to give them a chance of life.

The year is 2058. The world’s powers have stabilised, the citizens of the newly formed super-states are living in peace and prosperity. But when safety is a privilege of the fortunate, liberty is a radical idea. For those born on the wrong side of the wall surrounding the Federated States of Europe, the price of privilege is unimaginably high.

When fate brings the two men together, they struggle against time, hostile forces and their own prejudices, towards a conclusion, neither of them would have thought possible.

Excerpt
THEY WERE WEAK, half-starved and exhausted after the weeks-long journey through wastelands and strange forests, through abandoned villages, and burned-out towns. Only the weather turning colder every day reminded him that they were no longer in Africa. They had met no people on their way. The few they had seen had run away long before they could make contact, or ask any questions. They ate what they could find, and whatever the strange forests provided, but it was scarce, barely enough to keep them going. They never stopped, only for a short rest every once in a while. The land of promise was there, must be there, they had only to find it, to endure a little longer, maybe one more day, maybe two.

When the smugglers had brought them to the shore in life-boats, they had shown them a general direction then abandoned them in the cold night. The people had been confused and directionless, but they had stayed together and begun walking. Jonas and Moses had stuck together ever since then, with a few younger men clinging to their sides like an entourage.

By the time they had arrived at the wall, there were only the six of them left. The others had either given up, seeking refuge in the ruins of abandoned buildings or died of starvation and exhaustion along the way. Those who had stayed behind could not be persuaded to move on, and Jonas was sure they would die out there, alone, in the cold wilderness, as the weather was turning against them day by day. He pressed on among the more determined few, not wasting effort to try and save those who wanted to be left alone. It was their choice, and Jonas had made his own too. He chose to live and to live well, and free. It was only a question of getting to Europe.

Looking at the wall now he thought that must be it. A place as well guarded as that must be rich. The people on the other side seemed to have much to protect. He could not understand what they defended themselves from; there was nothing in the forest to threaten anyone. Perhaps the war reached this far, or maybe slavers were coming in to take the people, like they had in Africa. Either way, the wall itself was reassuring in a way, promising safety and protection for those on the inside. It was only a matter of getting through somehow.

There were no doors, no gates, nor any other entrance; the wall was seemingly endless, continuing well into the darkness in both directions. Jonas was contemplating moving a little farther, to see if there was any chance they could gain entry, when Moses beside him broke the silence.

“We climb.”

That was all he said, and nobody argued. Jonas knew he was right, that the shortest way was straight in, that if they tried to find a point of entry they might be stuck on the wrong side for days or even weeks, without food or shelter. He knew he probably would not survive that. Maybe some of the younger men would, but not him. He was too weak to even think about it.

They chose a spot halfway between two watchtowers that were some distance away, far enough that they could not see if there were people behind the dimly lit windows, and Jonas was sure they would not be seen either. The darkness and the distance were on their side.

The wall looked as tall as three men, but as the outside was pockmarked and rough, he could find foot and handholds easily enough. Every muscle in his body protested at once when he pulled himself up. He felt faint, his hands threatened to let go, but he climbed on with the last of his strength. He knew he would scale that wall if it cost him his life. He pressed on, grunting, wanting to scream out loud, but he was too afraid to make a sound.

Twice his toes slipped, and his hands were chafed on the rough concrete as he tried to hold himself up. His fingers ached, his arms went numb. He stopped for a breather, looked up, and saw that he had cleared most of the height. A little more effort, then. Glancing to his right, he saw Moses climbing a few metres away, while one of the younger ones had almost reached the top. Jonas smiled. We will make it.

There was a yell and a thud as one of the climbers fell. The young man dropped from a great height and now lay on his back, moaning. Jonas was beginning to wonder if the man could ever get up again, and if it would be wise to go back and try to help him, when the searchlights lit up. Blinding white light flooded the wall, and suddenly the climbers projected long black shadows, criss-crossing under them in two directions. Then a gunshot rang out, and the moaning stopped. Jonas looked down. Half of the fallen man’s head had been turned into a pool of blood.

Then another shot rang out, and the adolescent boy who had almost reached the top, fell without a sound, hit the ground, and never moved again. Jonas screamed and started pulling himself upwards as fast as he could. He heard another shot. Another man fell. He pressed on harder, Moses panting beside him. He’s still breathing then.

One of Jonas’s fingernails broke, but he never noticed it. He tried to pull, but his shoulder gave out, red-hot pain stabbing his left arm and his back. He let go with one hand, hanging by his right and felt his feet starting to slip, when a bullet burrowed itself into the concrete, just where his head had been a moment ago. He tried to lift his left arm, but there was only more pain. He grunted with a low gurgling sound that rose into a roar as he raised his arm, pushing through the pain, and grabbed the new handhold the burrowing bullet had made in the wall’s surface.

He pulled. Jonas wasn’t sure he was getting anywhere, but he pulled again. The world blurred, he felt like throwing up, but his empty stomach only produced acid. He pulled again, pushing with his feet. He heard a sound like a bullet bouncing off a wall near his head, but he no longer paid attention to it.

Another gunshot was followed by another thud as a body hit the ground below. Jonas pulled harder then, reaching up, he felt a ledge. He pulled with all his strength, pushed up with his right foot and tried to move his body over the top. For a long moment he hung there, half way between the top of the wall and falling; between salvation and certain death. He glanced down and saw four unmoving bodies. Then, with a last effort, he pulled himself up and lay on the top of the wall, shaded from the searchlight, panting.

He heard a rustle from one side. Raising his head, he saw Moses not far from him, trying to crouch up from his prone position, while still staying in the shadows. Jonas collected his remaining strength and got up as well, keeping his body folded and his head low. He felt the duress that had given him the strength to climb melt away, and his body began to tremble. Jonas smiled. Almost there. Moses looked at him, and nodded, the same approving nod he had once given Jonas on the boat, which now seemed a lifetime ago. Jonas nodded back, still smiling. Moses’s lips began to curl up too, when new searchlights lit the top of the wall, flooding them with a white glare. They leapt down at the same time.

It was a long drop, and Jonas rolled on his back when he reached the ground until he came to a halt. His legs ached, his left ankle was in pain. He had hit his head, and the world became a blur. He could faintly see Moses get up and limp away, disappearing into the shadows without looking behind. Jonas realised he was on his own now.

Then there was a short burst of rapid gunfire. Jonas strained his eyes, trying to see if Moses had got away, but he could only see the motionless darkness, contrasting with the sharp beams of searchlights as they swept across the black grass. He pressed his trembling body against the stone wall as tightly as he could and dared not move. He lay low to make sure the lights did not follow him. He tried to be as still as he could, holding his breath and closing his eyes until the dull pain in his head subsided somewhat, and the trembling quieted down. When he opened his eyes to look around, nothing moved, and even the searchlights began to fade. He lay there for what seemed to be a long time after the lights died away, but nobody came for him. There was no more sound of guns being fired.

***

Lance Corporal Peter Markovic approached the tunnel’s exit, checked his gear one last time and made sure his position was being correctly transmitted so his movements could be traced. He was on lone duty, expecting a quiet night, but with nobody to clock him he had to rely on the built-in systems. Finding everything in order he stood at the bottom of the ladder leading up to the surface, waiting for this patrol time to start. He always arrived a few minutes early, not wanting to risk anything at the last moment. His behaviour was monitored, and he was sure that a record of keenness and punctuality would help any future promotion. He suppressed a yawn, mentally rehearsed his route once more, gave the voice command for the gear to report his departure, turned on his torch, then began climbing the ladder with slow, deliberate steps.

***

Then something seemed to move far ahead in the darkness. Jonas stopped. He held his breath. Nothing. He looked for more movement, but only saw the motionless night. He began to crawl backwards slowly, and as carefully as he could, then pressed his back against the wall once again when he reached it and tried to stay still. Everything remained quiet, so he let out a shallow breath, thinking about risking to get up, when he felt a familiar texture under his palm. Jonas picked up the frayed piece of paper and kissed the treasured image with a deep sigh. It was the only thing left he could hold onto.

He put the photograph back into his pocket, then started to creep away from the wall, moving as slowly as he could. He dragged himself on shaky elbows, keeping his head close to the ground. He could feel the hardened grass crumble underneath him. He smelled burned leaves and smoke, mixed with a stinging chemical odour.

After a long crawl, Jonas finally crouched up and looked around. The towers were far away now, and there were no searchlights visible. He waited and listened. There was no movement. He tried his legs; his ankle still hurt, but he ignored the pain. He got up and started to run with a limp.

It’s over! At last! As he ran, he felt all the pain in his body melt away, his hunger subsided, and the feeling of cold and the dampness of the alien weather no longer bothered him. Jonas laughed, first just to himself, then out loud. He focused on gaining speed. He ran with heavy breaths and unsteady steps, but with the strength of determination and hope. He had almost forgotten what hope felt like, but now it was giving him life and making him light, urging him forward, making him feel that he could run forever. He ran into the darkness, into the freedom, into his new life, across the burned flatland, towards safety. The next moment he ran into a sudden sharp light and saw a soldier pointing a gun at him, shouting something he could not understand.

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    Giveaway

I am thrilled to be hosting a spot on the KYLE'S LITTLE SISTER by BonHyung Jeong Blog Tour hosted by Rockstar Book Tours. Check out my post and make sure to enter the giveaway!

About the Book:

Author: BonHyung Jeong

Pub. Date: June 22, 2021

Publisher: JY

Formats: Hardcover, Paperback, eBook

Pages: 240

Find it: Goodreads, Amazon, B&N, iBooks, Kobo, TBD, Bookshop.org

My name is Grace, not "Kyle's little sister!"

Having a good-looking, friendly, outgoing older brother sucks—especially when you're the total opposite, someone who likes staying home and playing video games. Your parents like him better (even if they deny it!), and everyone calls you "Kyle's little sister" while looking disappointed that you're not more like him. I was really hoping I'd get to go to a different middle school, but no such luck. At least I have my friends...until he finds a way to ruin that, too...! Argh! What do I have to do to get out of his shadow?!

Excerpt

About BonHyung Jeong:

BonHyung Jeong (Bon) studied Cartooning at the School of Visual Arts in New York, and Kyle's Little Sister is her debut graphic novel, made possible with the help of numerous people. She hopes to make connections with others through relatable stories. Currently living in Korea, she's always busy playing console games - exactly like someone in the book!

Giveaway Details:

3 winners will receive a finished copy of KYLE'S LITTLE SISTER, US Only.