Title: Golden Darkness Descends
Author: JMD Reid
Narrator: Zachary Johnson
Length: 22 hours 53 minutes
Series: The Storm Below, Book 4
Publisher: Dreaming Between Worlds Publishing LLC
Producer: Audiobook Empire
Released: May 25, 2021
Genre: Epic Fantasy
None return from beneath the Storm!
Ary and Chaylene have fallen beneath the Storm. Plunged into a world of eternal darkness and rain, they have to survive. Hunted by the Stormridres, what hope does Ary have to end the Storm now?
To lead him to the light, Chaylene must pay the ultimate price!
Above the Storm, the Golden Daughter hatches. The embodiment of the Dark Goddess shines with bright light. Deceiving all, even the grieving Zori, the Golden Daughter spreads her message of faith and zeal.
All shall burn in her cleansing fires!
With the fall of Ary and Chaylene, Estan and Esty are lost. How can they stand against the golden darkness descending upon the skies?
Will Estan have the courage to stand against the Dark Goddess?
When evil comes wrapped in good, what chance does the world have?
You have to listen to this epic and powerful fantasy novel to find out!
Q&A with Author J.M.D. Reid
- Tell us about the process of turning your book into an audiobook.
- I had been thinking about it for a while, wanting to do it, but it’s a daunting process with an epic fantasy series with books as long as this. It was always on the back burner then one day Zack contacted me. He had found my book on Amazon and was very interested in narrating it.
- I listened to his samples and found he had a great voice for narrating epic fantasy.
- We did some back and forth, and the first hurdle I had to cross: how were my strange fantasy names pronounced. There are some nonhuman ones that I don’t know how Zack managed to say, but he did.
- After putting together the pronunciation guide, the final stage was listening to him voice my characters and making sure we were on the same page. Then it was off to the races.
- Do you believe certain types of writing translate better into audiobook format?
- I think writing that’s very descriptive and has lots of dialogue is probably best for audiobooks.
- Was a possible audiobook recording something you were conscious of while writing?
- It was not even in the back of my mind. I loved audiobooks, but the idea that a self-published author could do it was never anything I imagined was an option.
- How did you select your narrator?
- He found me and after hearing his voice, I was thrilled to work with him.
- 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 gave him a pronunciation guide since there are some interesting names. And a brief character trait. He found my description of one character “is a tool” to be helpful.
- Were there any real life inspirations behind your writing?
- Yeah. I was really inspired by the Age of Discovery sailing ships but threw them up in the air. Especially the British Royal Navy. You see that in the red coats of the marines and the dark-blue coats of the officers.
- How do you manage to avoid burn-out? What do you do to maintain your enthusiasm for writing?
- I work on multiple projects at once so I never feel like I work on one project too much in a day. I feel that keeps me fresh. As for enthusiasm, I love writing. It’s so much fun. The editing and marketing sucks, but the writing is a joy.
- Are you an audiobook listener? What about the audiobook format appeals to you?
- I am. It started back fifteen or more years. I delivered pizzas in my twenties. And audiobooks let me listen to a story while delivering pizzas. I used to by the CD packs and just picked up new ones from half-price books whenever I could. It’s nice to listen to a story while working on other things.
- How did you celebrate after finishing this novel?
- I tend to just feel a rush of a high finishing a novel and just sort of walk around. Not much celebrating but feeling the emotional rush of this.
- In your opinion, what are the pros and cons of writing a stand-alone novel vs. writing a series?
- A stand-alone novel is something I’m not sure I can write. I want to keep telling stories about my character. To tell big stories that one novel can’t contain. A stand-alone novel can be very focused on one idea while a series can let you really explore a world. I write fantasy, and while there are some good stand-alone novels, I think the medium lends itself to series to explore a created world.
- What bits of advice would you give to aspiring authors?
- Read every day. Write every day. You have to develop your craft.
- What’s next for you?
- Shadow of the Dragon is an epic fantasy series I’m working on. It’s about a young girl who gets the soul of an extinct dragon put in her, a young man trying to be a hero and protect her, and a dark conspiracy that hunts her across the world.
- Shadow of the Dragon is an epic fantasy series I’m working on. It’s about a young girl who gets the soul of an extinct dragon put in her, a young man trying to be a hero and protect her, and a dark conspiracy that hunts her across the world.
Book 5 of The Storm Below is in production and will be released this summer!
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J.M.D. Reid has been a long-time fan of Fantasy ever since he read The Hobbit way back in the fourth grade. His head has always been filled with fantastical tales, and he is eager to share the worlds dwelling in his dreams with you.
Reid is long-time resident of the Pacific Northwest in and around the City of Tacoma. The rainy, gloomy atmosphere of Western Washington, combined with the natural beauty of the evergreen forests and the looming Mount Rainier, provides the perfect climate to brew creative worlds and exciting stories!
When he’s not writing, Reid enjoys playing video games, playing D&D and listening to amazing music.
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Lover of mathematics, devourer of science fiction, and connoisseur of the dad joke. When he’s not doing math for business or fun, he’s devouring science fiction and fantasy, reading up on scientific advancements, going for a jog, or, on all too rare occasions, taking a refreshing swim at the beach. At your service, you shall have an able storyteller and gifted conveyor of information. Experienced in narrating fiction, from the romantic to the post-apocalyptic, and nonfiction, from the historical to the corporate, and armed with the tools to make it all sound great, Zachary promises that, no matter the job, you’ll be read-iculously pleased!
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