Audio Spotlight & Author Interview: Steele Secrets + Excerpt

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Title: Steele Secrets

Author: Andi Cumbo-Floyd

Narrator: Aven Shore

Length: 4 hours and 37 minutes

Series: Steele Secrets, Book 1

Released: April 11, 2022

Producer: Audiobook Empire

Publisher: Andilit

Genre: Paranormal; Young Adult

Ghosts just don’t show up for anybody.

So when I meet the spirit of a former slave named Moses, I know he needs my help.But I didn’t expect to be taking on half of my town, or the powerful men who seem to run everything and have done so for years.

Secrets are being uncovered, and some people would do anything to keep them buried, no matter who gets hurt. I’ll need the help of history and friends I can trust if I want to save Moses’ graveyard and protect his legacy.

If only everyone believed it was one worth protecting…



 

Q&A with Author Andi Cumbo-Floyd
  • Were there any real life inspirations behind your writing?
    • Actually, yes. These books were inspired by two major histories in my life: my own family story and the story of my son’s father’s family. I am a descendant of African people who were brought here very early in the history of the United States, and so that history is in this book. And the actual idea for the place and story came from a tale my son’s grandfather shared about his experience in a graveyard in his hometown in western Virginia. It was really powerful to weave those stories into a new one I created.
  • Are you an audiobook listener? What about the audiobook format appeals to you?
    • I LOVE audiobooks. I listen to them constantly because I find that I can absorb certain stories more easily in audio than I can on the page. Plus, sometimes I just can’t hold a book or ebook, and then I can put in my earbuds and listen. The more I can read the better.
  • If you had the power to time travel, would you use it? If yes, when and where would you go?
    • Definitely. And if I have to pick just one place, it would be Eastern North Carolina, where my family on my dad’s side is from. I’d go back to my ancestor James Henry’s time to see the situation and story around his (or his parents’) decision to have him cross the color line. I cannot believe the courage such a choice would have taken, and I’d like too bear witness to that choice and its consequences because his choice is part of what let me be here today.
  • What do you say to those who view listening to audiobooks as “cheating” or as inferior to “real reading”?
    • I find this argument just ridiculous. Taking in books is reading, no matter the form, because reading is simply about absorbing words into our brains. That can happen through our eyes or through our ears. Plus, honestly, the idea that audiobook listening isn’t reading is insulting to those people in the world – the blind, those with visual processing disorders like dyslexia – who can only experience the joy of reading through audio.
  • In your opinion, what are the pros and cons of writing a stand-alone novel vs. writing a series?
    • As a reader I love series. I love to drop into a world for a long time, so I always want to give my readers that opportunity, too. But as a writer, it’s harder because I need to be sure I don’t repeat myself or make my stories so complex that they can’t be carried through clearly in a series. But if I can do my work well, I hope I give readers a luxurious, encompassing story that moves from book to book without getting boring or cumbersome.
  • What’s your favorite:
    • Food – cheese. Hands down. Cheese of any sort.
    • Song – “Maria’s Beautiful Mess” by Ellis Paul
    • Book – Who Fears Death by Nnedi Okorafor
    • Television show – at the moment, “Lizzo’s Watch Out for the Big Grrrls”
    • Movie – Dead Poets Society
    • Band – Over the Rhine
    • Sports team – do not have! ☺
    • City – Edinburgh, Scotland
  • Are any of those things referenced in appearance in your work?
    • Many of Mary’s food choice echo my own, and some of my music choices, too. Most of her reading, listening, viewing was informed by what I was doing at the time. So not necessarily my favorites, but things I enjoyed.
  • What bits of advice would you give to aspiring authors?
    • You can make a living at this writing thing, and you can love telling stories every day. You just have to learn and persist past all the obstacles. It’s worth it.
  • Do you have any tips for authors going through the process of turning their books into audiobooks?
    • Find a narrator you love, who is professional, poised, and knows how to ask you the right questions to produce the book you want. Then hire a producer who will create beautiful, professional files for you. This isn’t a place for cutting corners. It’s worth the money.
  • What’s next for you?
    • I’ve been writing cozy mysteries for a while as ACF Bookens, and I’ll keep doing that. But I’m also start a romantic comedy series as Andrea Cumbo in 2023. So stay tuned for those.

 

Andi Cumbo-Floyd lives in the Southwestern Mountains of Virginia with her young son, an old dog, and a puppy who likes to eat furniture. When she’s not writing she likes to cross-stitch, binge magical shows, and garden.

Aven Shore is an audiobook narrator living in her off-grid tiny house in rural Eastern Canada, surrounded by forest and chicken friends, and honeybees. She loves books so much she’s listening to one almost every minute she’s not narrating one (she narrates romance as Avie Paige). She narrates live on Discord with other romance narrators on the Haven server. She is longing to travel and hike in mountains again, and dreaming of sleep in the lava fields of Iceland under Northern lights again, her favorite place in the world. Her past lives include being a carpenter, firefighter, tax accountant, and competitive snowboarder.

At Audiobook Empire, audio reigns supreme, narrators are hailed as heroes, and headphones are worn with pride.

Marrying pomp and circumstance with quality you can count on, Audiobook Empire is a full-service production house that produces and promotes audiobooks with gusto.

Give your audiobook the imperial treatment by producing it with Audiobook Empire.

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Audio Spotlight & Author Interview: Cassius and Ellendarra + Excerpt

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Title: Cassius and Ellendarra

Author: D. C. Armstrong

Narrator: Nathaniel Priestley

Length: 7 hours and 44 minutes

Publisher: D. C. Armstrong

Released: Apr. 19, 2022

Genre: Fantasy

Cassius alone stands between the realm of Evlontus and complete destruction in this riveting tale of swords, magic, and deception that rewrites the classic theme of good versus evil.

Imprisoned within Cassius’ soul lives a terrifying dark force threatening to destroy all existence. As his control over it weakens, it is up to his brother, King Magnus, along with his deceitful machinations, to repress and vanquish the evil entity and restore balance to the realm. Total annihilation looms over Evlontus, and the brothers’ efforts begin to unravel due to the interference of two soldiers, Japheth and Ellendarra.

When the truth is finally revealed, destiny takes them down an unexpected path toward the ultimate battle between good and evil.

 



Q&A with Author D. C. Armstrong
  • Tell us about the process of turning your book into an audiobook.
    • The audiobook process turned out to be the most fun I’ve had in my publishing journey! I used ACX to produce the audiobook and everything went very smoothly. I was able to select a narrator from the auditions very quickly and he was very responsive to my character notes and suggestions. After only a few revisions we were able to lock in the final product.
  • Do you believe certain types of writing translate better into audiobook format?
    • Absolutely. The early feedback I received often included something along the lines of – you should be a screenplay writer. I agree with this, but in the case of this specific story I felt compelled to push forward with writing a novel. The difficulty is that this story, and the way that it is written, doesn’t fit neatly in the Fantasy genre. It includes magic, sword fighting, good versus evil but it is intentionally limited to a small core cast and focused on dialogue and character development. The book does read more like a play and has less in the way of an immersive descriptive fantasy world as it was intended to appeal to those looking for a lighter read.
  • Was a possible audiobook recording something you were conscious of while writing?
    • No. It should have been. Funnily enough it didn’t even occur to me until nearly a year after publishing that audiobooks would give me the freedom to write in the way that feels most natural to me.
  • How did you select your narrator?
    • When I initially set up the book for auditions, I had selected an American accent for the narrator but the first message I got was from Nathaniel inquiring about whether I would consider a British accent. I told him I would certainly consider it and he promptly sent in an audition file soon after. I never even listened to the other auditions because I was so blown away by his characterizations and voicework. Felt like it was meant to be!
  • How closely did you work with your narrator before and during the recording process?
    • Nathaniel was great to work with. I felt very comfortable relaying any notes about the tone a character would speak with and letting him in on a deeper level about different plot points so that the dialogue could resonate the way I intended. He was very responsive and efficient with any corrections and enthusiastic to see the project come to life.
  • Were there any real life inspirations behind your writing?
    • The entirety of the novel is far more personal than I had originally intended. The plot changed from draft to draft as I began to incorporate more of myself into the characters. My own sense of humor changed the tone of the book completely despite it originally being written out with a much darker plot.
  • Is there a particular part of this story that you feel is more resonating in the audiobook performance than in the book format?
    • My favorite parts of the story are when all of the core cast of characters come together. I am a big fan of the show Arrested Development and love when the family comes together and I feel like that tone influenced a lot of those scenes and resonates better when you can hear the voices of the characters.

D. C. Armstrong is the author of Cassius and Ellendarra, and the upcoming sequel The Last King of Evlontus. A fan of character-driven stories, her work is light in the details and fast-paced but epic in scale nonetheless.

Voice Actor and Audiobook Narrator

Narrator for Penguin Random House, W.F Howes, Strathmore Publishing, Audible Studios, StoryTec, HarperCollins, RNIB and many independent authors.
As heard on Qatar Airways, Lenor Europe, Rockwool, Radio Manx, Channel 103 and many more.


 

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