Listening to Audiobooks

After my six novels in the Megan Scott/Michael Elliott Mystery series were published in paperback and eBook formats, I welcomed the opportunity to diversify. Armed with an equal dose of determination and curiosity, I looked into the production of audiobooks for my novels.

Data from retail bookstores and public libraries indicated that the number of people listening to the audiobook format of storytelling was steadily increasing. Since audiobooks allowed speedy download access and easy portability, you could listen to them on your iPod, tablet, or other device while multitasking, exercising, or relaxing at home.

Through Audible, a subsidiary of Amazon, I took the plunge into this new venture. I listened to sample submissions from narrators who auditioned for False Impressions, book 1 in my mystery series. Most candidates had years of experience in narrating books. Others had also performed on stage and in film and had done voice-overs for commercials. I was in awe of their extensive expertise and the diversification of their accomplishments.

Since my books are told in the first-person point of view of Megan Scott, my thirty-something main character, I wanted a narrator whose voice reflected her age and personality. The same person would have to narrate every character’s voice in False Impressions, including the male voices, and then refine the entire performance with the assistance of a studio engineer. When we’re talking about narrating a three-hundred-page novel, it translates to weeks of studio time—or longer. I commend narrators for their diligence and the long hours they spend in recording sessions.

After I’d listened to brief sample auditions from potential candidates, I dwindled my choices to a short list of narrators, then made my final decision. Selecting only one was the difficult part, but Kelli Tager’s smooth voice and experience simplified my decision. As soon as we’d agreed on the schedule and finalized the legal paperwork, Kelli began to work on the project.

A few months later, I received the finalized version of my audiobook. Goosebumps rose along my arms as I listened to it. Thanks to Kelli, I could hear all the characters I’d created in False Impressions, from the private thoughts voiced by an emotional Megan Scott to the blunt comments uttered by Detective Moreau and emphasized by his French-Canadian accent. Not only had Kelli enriched their personalities by giving each character a unique voice, but she’d also enhanced the original image I’d had of them.

If you’ve never listened to an audiobook, you’re in for a thrill. It’s the next best thing to watching a movie or TV show because it helps you to visualize the characters as they speak and interact. Their voices draw you deeper into the story, and you can’t help but feel as if you’re actually there with them.

Audiobooks for the other novels in my mystery series are scheduled for production over the following year. To keep things consistent, Kelli will be narrating them. You can bet they’ll be just as exciting!

To listen to an audio sample of False Impressions and find out where you can get the audiobook, visit this page on my website.

The Subway

When I used to live in Montreal, I often rode Le Metro, or subway system, on shopping trips to the downtown area. The underground metro is the main form of public transport in this cosmopolitan city. It’s a convenient way to get around in the winter when snowstorms block streets, and it’s faster than making the same journey by car through heavy traffic.

The metro is such a vital part of Montreal that I mentioned it in several scenes in False Impressions, my first book in the Megan Scott/Michael Elliott Mystery series. Here’s an excerpt from Megan’s point of view after she tumbles into a busy downtown street, and a young man wearing iPod earphones yanks her back to safety:

I returned to my apartment, still debating whether or not I was losing my mind. Had I slipped off the sidewalk because of my own carelessness as the iPod guy had claimed, or had someone pushed me into the traffic on purpose?

I’d heard of similar “accidents” occurring in Le Metro. Whether a pedestrian had been pushed or had jumped in front of a speeding train of their own free will, the result was always the same: It had happened so fast that no one had seen anything. Subway authorities would evacuate the station and shut down the system along that segment of the line while police investigated the incident and maintenance crews cleaned up the mess. Commuters who knew better had adopted the habit of standing along the back of the platform to avoid being pushed in front of a subway car as it sped into the station.

The outcome of my experience paled in comparison, thanks to the iPod guy’s swift reaction. I weighed the possibility he might have shoved me into the street but dismissed it. It would have proved too tricky to maneuver a push from where he was standing beside me. I was convinced the thrust had come from behind.

Want to read more? Click on the Books page on my website to find out where you can get your copy of False Impressions. Each book in the series can be read as a standalone, but this first book will give you a glimpse into the life-threatening events that initially brought Megan and Michael together.

Enjoy the read!

Opening Paragraphs

There are countless articles on how to write the opening paragraphs of a story. To sum it up, the opening paragraphs should hook or invite the reader to visit the world of the story. The imagery conveyed should paint a picture that stirs a reader’s curiosity, wonder, and emotions.

I’m all for achieving effect, so I’ll spend time revising the opening paragraphs until I’m satisfied that the reader will want to read more. I say satisfied because there are umpteen ways to begin a story—time permitting. Seeing that authors have their own writing styles and preferences, the decision regarding the content can also be quite subjective. I prefer to keep it simple and set the tone of the story as best I can in the first paragraphs.

If you haven’t yet read my work, here are excerpts from the opening paragraphs of my first three novels in the Megan Scott/Michael Elliott Mystery series as told from Megan’s point of view:

“If I’d known I would be visiting the morgue just weeks after I saw my husband sitting with Pam at Pueblo’s Café, I’d have gone over to say hello that sunny Monday afternoon in July and maybe change destiny. But I was late for a five o’clock appointment.” (False Impressions – Book #1)

“There were times when I wished I could change the future. This was one of them. The cheerful family atmosphere around the kitchen table obscured the sequence of ominous events about to unfold, and I couldn’t do a thing about it.” (Fatal Whispers – Book #2)

“Our windshield wipers were losing the battle in fending off the barrage of ice pellets… The weather amplified the hesitation I’d had about taking this trip… It was a picturesque scene but a threatening one should temperatures plunge and the sudden storm intensify as weather forecasters now predicted. I cringed with the realization that we’d be spending the next two nights here.” (Icy Silence – Book #3)

As I mentioned in an earlier post, I’m currently working on Dark Deeds, my next book in the mystery series. I can’t reveal too many details, though I can tell you that the story involves the hunt for an infamous killer in a decades-old cold case. I’ll have more information in next month’s blog post. Stay tuned!

To learn more about the riveting adventures of ghostwriter Megan Scott and investigative reporter Michael Elliott in this popular mystery series, click on the Books tab. If you’re new to this website, you can join my Newsletter to get blog posts delivered directly to your email address and be the first to find out about new book releases.

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