 Day 2 of the Bare Naked Words blog tour for "Lovely" the first book in the Elite Doms of Washington series by author Elizabeth SaFleur from May 30th - June 3rd. Join in the fun and the giveaways! Come back every day for the new links to check out the reviews and enter to win all kinds of prizes from books to Amazon cards! All Blogs with an * (astrix) are review posts. May 31stA Striking Viper, Caught in a Tangled Web*
https://rhianona.wordpress.com/2016/05/31/blog-tour-and-review-of-lovely-by-elizabeth-safleur-with-giveaway/ Brandis Book Blog* https://www.facebook.com/brandisbookblog/posts/1046736652075283 Crazy Chix Book Reviews http://crazychixbookreview.blogspot.com/2016/05/blog-tour-lovely-author-elizabeth.html Danielle's Domain* http://daniellesdomainreviews.blogspot.com/2016/05/review-for-lovely-by-elizabeth-safleur.html Delightfully Dirty Reads https://delightfullydirtyreads.com/2016/05/31/lovely-by-elizabeth-safleur-blog-tour-barenakedwords/ Digital Dirty Girl http://digitaldirtygirlbookblog.blogspot.com/2016/05/book-lovely-author-elizabeth-safleur.html DOUBLE M ROCKING BOOK BUDDIES https://www.facebook.com/514063895361404/photos/a.535937903174003.1073741829.514063895361404/791501530950971/?type=3&theater Fictional Rendezvous Book Blog http://fictionalrendezvousbookblog.blogspot.com/2016/05/blog-tour-of-lovely-by-elizabeth-safleur.html FOUR CHICKS FLIPPING PAGES https://www.facebook.com/514063895361404/photos/a.535937903174003.1073741829.514063895361404/791501530950971/?type=3&theater Just Booked https://justbooked.blogspot.com/2016/05/blog-tour-lovely-by-elizabeth-safleu.html Love Infinity Book Blog https://www.facebook.com/Loveinfinitybookblog/posts/948325108600000 Pour-Over Parchment* http://www.pouroverparchment.com/?p=21417 Southern Vixens Book Obsessions https://www.facebook.com/svbookobsessions/posts/1747767192164656 Two Feisty Angles and A Devil https://twoangelsandadevil.com/2016/05/30/book-lovely-author-elizabeth-safleur/
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 Bare Naked Words is hosting the blog tour for "Lovely" the first book in the Elite Doms of Washington series by author Elizabeth SaFleur from May 30th - June 3rd. Join in the fun and the giveaways! Come back every day for the new links to check out the reviews and enter to win all kinds of prizes from books to Amazon cards! All Blogs with an * (astrix) are review posts. May 30th A Book Lover's Emporium
https://web.facebook.com/abookloversemporiumbookblog/posts/1723069067941649:0 A Sky Full of Stars Blog http://askyfullofstarsblog.weebly.com/home/blog-tour-lovely-by-elizabeth-safleur Bloggers From Down Under https://web.facebook.com/bloggersfromdownunder/posts/1188939401116928 Bobbie's Book Blog Blog and Reviews https://web.facebook.com/BobbiesBookBlog/photos/a.1943030782587697.1073741828.1942918412598934/2048510365373071/?type=3&theater Book Bangers Blog http://bookbangersblog2.blogspot.co.ke/2016/05/lovely-blog-tour.html?q=elizabeth+safleur Book Flirts http://bookflirtsbyjessi.blogspot.co.ke/2016/05/lovely-by-elizabeth-safleur-blog-tour.html Book-Lover https://book-loverblog14.blogspot.co.ke/2016/05/blog-tour-lovely-by-elizabeth-safleur.html Bookbesties https://bookbesties.com/2016/05/31/blog-tour-of-lovely-by-elizabeth-safleur/ Books, Photos & a little bit of everything else https://ckwlofton.wordpress.com/2016/05/30/books-photos-a-little-bit-of-everything-else-may-30/ Cover to Cover Book Blog https://www.facebook.com/covertocoverbookblog/photos/pcb.500361430153855/500361003487231/?type=3 Grammy's Bookshelf http://grammysbookshelf.blogspot.co.ke/2016/05/blog-tour-of-lovely-by-elizabeth-safleur.html indie impressions https://indieimpressions.wordpress.com/2016/05/30/blog-tour-of-lovely-by-elizabeth-safleur/ Moments in West FL http://momentsinwestfl.blogspot.co.ke/2016/05/blog-tour-of-lovely-by-elizabeth-safleur.html Need Epic Reads http://needepicreads.com/blog-tour-of-lovely-by-elizabeth-safleur/ Reading in Sarah's Corner http://readinginsarahscorner.blogspot.co.ke/2016/05/blog-tour-lovely-by-elizabeth-safleur.html scandalous book blog http://scandalousbookblog.blogspot.co.ke/2016/05/blog-tour-lovely-by-elizabeth-safleur.html Unquietly Me https://unquietlyme.com/2016/05/30/lovely-by-elizabeth-safleur/ VampyreLady's Cover Reveals, Blog Tours, New Releases & All Things Bookish https://vampyreladysbookstuff.blogspot.com 
Jason: Kings of Guardian (Book 4) is now available for pre-order on Amazon and Kobo! Step up and get your pre-order special for 99¢.
But, if you don't mind writing honest reviews and getting a free book you can join the R4R Event going on right now! Sign up for the R4R here: http://eepurl.com/b2J2T1 Or you can pre-order the book on Amazon or Kobo and have it delivered to you May 31st. For those who absolutely can't wait and don't want to review, you can purchase Jason: Kings of Guardian (Book 4) from TRP DIRECTLY HERE.
Click an icon to buy:
A Note From the Author:
Hi!
Y’all know I don’t do many of these newsletters, as a matter of fact I can count them on one hand…minus a couple fingers, but I wanted to let you know Jason, The Kings of Guardian book 4 is up on Amazon and Kobo for pre-order. Am I hyperventilating? Yes. Am I preparing to hide in my writer’s cave during the release? Yes, yes I am. Has the cop worked overtime trying to stop me from freaking out? Oh, hell yeah. Yep, it is the same drill with each release. It doesn’t get easier. Each time I wonder if I told the story right. Did I capture the characters and show them the way they deserve to be shown? I admit releasing my book babies into the world is difficult for me. But Jason's story was ready to be told. I hope you’ll enjoy his voice and his perspective. He’s damaged. Hell, most people have baggage, but Jason has a more than his fair share. I’ve given him a challenge or two in this book and in true King fashion, he’s risen to my expected level of hot, alpha yumminess. Faith Collins has a past, too. She’s overcome some huge obstacles in her young life and I think it is that background that allows these two to come together. I hope you enjoy their story. The epilogue is going to throw you for a loop. At least I hope it does. (NOT A CLIFFHANGER!) I have the series planned out, some of the siblings will play a major part in the theme brought out in this epilogue and some won’t. Guardian is a huge organization, which means life and business must go on—even with an ominous cloud lurking on the horizon. I hope you like Jason’s story. If you do…heck even if you don’t, please consider leaving a review. They truly are an author’s lifeblood. I appreciate each and every one of you. Sending cyber hugs! Kris P.S. Jared’s story is next!
EXCERPT MAY CONTAIN EXPLICIT CONTENT AND GRAPHIC WAR SCENES
 An audio book can be defined in several ways. These definitions commonly revolve around the idea that a book is recorded and made available to readers in audio forms such as mp3 files, compact discs and many other digital formats available out there. For the sake of this write up, I will define audio books as a digital recording of a printed paper book or an eBook for that matter...in other words; an audio recorded version of a novel. Not to be confused by audio podcasts which are standard audio recordings usually done in episodes that average general commuting time, say 20 - 30 minutes, posted on social networks or platforms where the subscribers can easily download the episodes according to their preference for free.....However the time frame of podcasts are greatly determined by the podcaster. Some podcasters choose to turn a book in podcasts and release only a chapter of the book per week or according to their own desired intervals....that is still fine, in this era of creativity and advance technology, there is a thin line between right and wrong. However, my focus here is on an audio book;- "the all at once kind of book recording that goes out to the market as one complete piece for sale." Audio books can be a great way for authors to capture a wider readership by reaching out to the non - readers, those struggling with slow reading problem, the blind and the general busy population who have no time to sit and entirely focus on reading a book but can listen while running other errands. HOW THEN CAN YOU CREATE AN OUTSTANDING AUDIO BOOK!? There are several parameters to put into consideration in the process of preparing to create an audio book. My interest is in choosing a narrator. The voice behind the audio will greatly influence the response of the listeners. Goofy sounding cast voices automatically put off the listeners. Considering the length of an entire book, the voices should sound natural but still captivating to give the listeners a desire to listen more and more. Otherwise, the audio file will be put aside after a few minutes of listening which is sad because authors put in so much time and commitment to produce these audio book. Based on different authors' experiences in creating an audio book, I will share some of the considerations to factor in while choosing a narrator for your next audio book. For Hers to Command, Patricia and I decided that she would do the voice over because she had classic training in drama. One thing that I should point out is voice over narrators are ACTORS. Formal training may not be needed, but it sure helps to create a superior product. Since Patricia has a lovely voice, and as she is the author, there is no second hand interpretation of the work. She knows the characters names and knows the subtle inflections she wanted to convey. So it was a natural thing for her to do her own audio. While she could only narrate for an hour before the quality of her voice became...compromised, it was well worth it. Was it cheaper to have her do the narration? No. We had a professional sound editor work with her during the process and it was worth the cost. Here is a sample of the final outcome:  But for Lovely, we needed a narrator. We wanted a soothing voice, with sophistication and someone who at least got the names and phrases correct. You might think this an easy thing, but there were narrators that did not get the main character's name correct. In that case, I didn't bother to correct them. I felt that if they could pronounce "Christiana" with the "a" at the end, then their attention to detail was not up to par with what we were willing to pay. And because we went with the paid option for ACX we got the best talent for our money. There were so many to choose from, but we had an idea of what voice the book needed. We also considered a voice for the series as a whole. That's how we chose Samantha. She is amazing. Please be aware that the sample below is NSFW. Right off the bat, she and a coveted few other narrators, pronounced Christiana as it was meant to be - Chris-tie-ah-n-ah. Not Christine. Not Christian. Samantha has worked with other BDSM authors as well and is familiar with the genre. That also was a plus for Samantha. We felt confident she would give justice to the terminology and the characters. One thing I should point out was her gratefulness as to our "get it done right, not fast" approach. So many rush into this thinking they are going to hit the gold mine for audiobooks and it's a race. I think serious authors are going into this medium. It might worth getting trained as a narrator.  The best advice I can give you is, don't go for a low budget. Put the money in for the best talent or equipment. Much like editing and covers. Go for broke. Because the more you try to save money, the more unhappy you'll be in the end. Remember, this article is not comprehensive and is based on different authors previous personal experiences.
Do you have a previous experience in choosing a narrator for your audio book? Share your journey in the comments below. Who knows? You may just inspire an author to turn their next eBook into an audio book.  The past six months of my life have been a journey, I cannot exactly calculate of how many miles - but rest assured it has been quite an experience.
Follow me on this, let me tell you what I mean: So in November 2015 (and November also happens to be my birthday month - Yes! I am a scorpio baby) I joined Troll River Publications as an assistant. So yes, I had two things to celebrate; first it was my birthday - the thought that am not getting any younger, probably wiser and then the good news of getting hired with my very first job application and the relief that I wasn't going to travel the road of job hunting. Let me make something clear, the relief wasn't just because I got a job...no no, the relief was because I got a job of my first choice and something I was sure I would keep my energy high on doing so ultimately I would deliver positively. Author S.N.Mckibben who also happens to be the head Troll River Publications is my boss, I prefer to use Stephy so for the sake of this write up that is how I will refer to her. Stephy is amazing, she is just on a different level kind of boss, honestly I shouldn't even use the word 'boss' because that is not how she comes out to me. She is different, she has her leadership skills mastered and knows exactly what to do, what to say and how to say. Just that, makes me feel rewarded and appreciated for the work I put in. Sometimes I feel our relationship is those of business partners (I am allowed to be me, express my opinion, make changes where necessary and even growl if I had to). So excuse my limited lexicon for not being able to get one word to describe her. Full disclosure; once in a while I brag to my best friend and family that I am an assistant head to a publishing company, the next big thing in the world of romance novels. LOL. I know that sounds ridiculous but trust me the thought of it inspires me. The inspiration is not just the title or the excitement it comes with but the DESIRE to want to do more and be the BEST in what I do; the hunger to be a worthy investment to the company and not a liability. Aaah! I forgot to mention, I am not those "wake up in the morning, dress up, look at yourself in the mirror, get on your sexiest heels, ask for your family's opinion on how you look then report to the office looking so on fire that every one else gets a little distracted by your entrance"... I am a virtual assistant. Yes, once in a while I get all dressed up to create a working mode but most of the time I am just in my pyjamas behind my very faithful laptop and a corner stuffed with pillows to ensure my back is taken care of. Working from home is fun because you have the control of doing whatever you want - whenever you want it and if you are a mommy like me, it gets even more special because you have all the time to watch over the little one. And that is where the challenge comes in, one has to make it intentional to work. If there is anything I have learnt in this past six months, i would say self motivation, disciple and time management. I mean no one bothers whether I report to office or not, no one monitors what I do but everyone looks and expects to see the result of the work I do. I started working at five hours a week, now am at twenty and many more to come. The change has made me keep on toss, I have stretched and upped my game. I have learnt to create a timeline for my whole week and have a draft of how my day would look like. I love it, I have never felt this in charge and responsible of my life. I feel like I have the power to write my own story without anyone telling me who they think I am. I have also learnt that am very good in building lasting relationships, something I took for-granted in the past. For me,this has been a journey of traveling to an unknown land because each new day, month, book release, launch party, virtual tour and much more comes with its own experiences. The trickiest part is trying to read Stephy's mind to figure out how many star ratings she gives me in each of these projects. Some days I wake up feeling not satisfied with what I delivered, I wonder if she feels the same or it's just self - judgement. But some days I wake up feeling a hero at how I made a kiss-ass newsletter and played around with words. I cannot give an exact ratio of these two happenings or say which feeling comes more often but I can say I love both reactions, they help me strike a balance. The 'unsatisfied' feeling pushes me to do more while the 'hero' feeling makes me feel I am improving and getting better at what I do. I am dedicated to my work as a virtual assistant. I give it my all, I do it like I will never do anything else but sometimes I have fears; What if I wake up one morning and Stephy doesn't need an assistant any more!? What if she decides she needs to cut costs and I am top of her "cutting cost" list!? But in these moments, I hold onto the good relationship more like a friendship we have built and my loyalty to her and the company. I remind myself that whatever happens I will have given my best and will proudly walk head high knowing I was diligent. This is what am saying; working as a virtual assistant has taught me to build trust and see the very best in people, something I used to struggle with before. I was rather skeptical; but now I live each day at a time, give the best in everything I do and believe that nature has a way of rewarding faithfulness and hard work. I feel like am a new person: the first time I felt that was on the 10th of October 2014 when I became a mom to my beautiful baby girl (That was an experience of a lifetime), 10th October 2015 when he went on his one knee and popped that 'life trembling question'. LOL. Then again on the 24th of November 2015 when I marked officially as my first day at work as a Virtual assistant, Troll River Publications. Why do I put this date as part of my special days calendar date? Because it is special to me, right from the start... I knew it was the genesis of a beautiful journey. Faith Ombewa - Assistant Troll River Publications 
STUFF YOUR eREADER CAMPAIGN! June 15, 2016 #AUTHORS! Do you have a $0.99 or freebie ebook that you want downloaded? Then join Scandalous Summer Reads! We're offering you the chance to get your erotic / erotica / BDSM or steamy romance book in front of hundreds of readers! Entry costs just $5 (payable via PayPal & which will be used solely for the purposes of the grand giveaway. We will be using KingSumo to host the giveaway which should hopefully promote viral sharing :) ) Get your book downloaded and your name on the map! We will accept freebies and $0.99 bargain ebooks available via Amazon, InstaFreebie, iBooks, Google Play, Nook or Barnes&Noble. One book per author. Hurry - just thirty spots available! -- The giveaway will be shared with over 150,000 twitter, Facebook and pinterest followers. INTERESTED? Sign up HERE. ** All participating authors will be required to share via their newsletters, Facebook or Twitter to ensure a successful campaign. Downloads can not be guaranteed. ** |
Dear Reader,
My efforts are to make this a learning blog where writers can see the flip side of publishing. If you have comments that will improve your experience or have a certain topic you'd like discussed, please contact me through email - HERE. ~ Sincerley, Your Editor Stephanie McKibben Head Troll Troll River Publications Books on Kindle
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