Understudy

If it meant sparing those you care about most from unspeakable grief, as well as a better life for yourself, would you (could you) live the ultimate lie? 

Redefining success, coping with a grief that cannot be shared, discovering that relationships are not always what they seem, and untangling oneself when a lie of omission becomes a massive tangled web . . .  Amy Shiley can have no concept of how an in-the-moment decision will affect everyone and everything she touches from that day forward. 




Available from:



Amazon

Audible

The Beginning of Us

What would you do if your marriage were over?  What would you do if you awakened to find yourself in your 17-year-old body, in your old room in your parents' house?  And what would you do if you then found yourself in an unfamiliar high school, in class with the teen-aged boy that would become who had been your husband?

Would you think you were dreaming?  Would you be able to relish this second chance at a good relationship, or would you worry about what your "real-life" husband and daughter were doing, and how they were coping, while you were stuck in the past?

Author Brandy Jeffus Corona has written the very sweet (and occasionally steamy) story of Teegan and Jax.  While the book is told mostly from Teegan's point of view, we do occasionally get to see what's going on inside teen Jax's head.  Wait until you find out what his dreams are about; and the ending may surprise you, too.

 

The Beginning of Us is available from Amazon in paperback, Kindle, or audio form ($6.08),

from Audible  ($6.95, or free with 30-day trial membership),

and from .

The Car Thief's Daughter

This title is a departure for me, as events in the heroine's life get a bit grittier than what I usually read or narrate.

Just when you think you can't admire Cally more for so completely overcoming the hardships in her past, you are slammed with the knowledge of another thing she's endured, then another.

Romantically, I have to admit that I was rooting for Kenny, or that nice mailman; but Elva Elliot, the author, saw fit to introduce the handsome son of the richest man in town . . . who blames Cally for his brother's death.

Available in audio form from Audible.

The Car Thief's Daughter (What Shows) is also available in audio, Kindle or paperback from Amazon.

And as with most things auditory these days,  The Car Thief's Daughter: What Shows can be found on iTunes.

Chocolate on a Stick

Carole Bellacera has written an enjoyable, fun, FUN read in Chocolate on a Stick.  Sure, if you look really hard you can find some valuable life lessons, such as, maybe, "Live and Let Live," or "Senior Citizens have Dreams Too" (or in one character's case "your lifelong dream was just one means of reaching your true heart's desire, and this curveball in your life may present yet another way to get it" -- okay, super cryptic so as to avoid spoilers; you'll thank me later) . . .

BUT . . . did I mention that this story is fun?  These characters are, well, characters.  And they get themselves into such situations.  And they say such . . . things!  I'm smiling and having a good giggle just remembering.  I love this story so much.  I hope it puts some happy into your life, too.

Available in print, on Kindle, and on audio from Amazon.

Audio also available direct from Audible or .



One of the challenges of this audiobook was the multitude of character narrators -- first person narration from seven different points of view.  What fun that was!  (Have I mentioned that this story is fun?)  I think I somehow fit bits of all of them into this sample.  Enjoy!

Lily of the Springs

I feel this book, written by Carole Bellacera and inspired by the life of her mother, is important. 

Yes, it's a fun read, too.  It's delightful to be taken through various eras (the 1950's and forward) via the music playing on Lily's radio and the fashions she and her friends are wearing.  It's entertaining to imagine a very early Elvis concert as clearly as if you were there.  It's amusing to witness the culture clash when a rural Kentucky girl befriends a chic Californian.

But if you've ever seen a young person make a quick choice that you know will affect the rest of their life . . .

Or if you've ever shaken your head at the abused mother who stays with the father . . .

Or if you've ever been that woman, needing the motivation and the courage to get out . . .

You should read (or listen to) this book.  There is hope; there is always hope.

Available from Amazon in print format, as a Kindle edition, or as an audio book.

Also available in audio format from Audible.

And in audio from iTunes here: .

ACX

Are you the rights holder to a work of literature?  Are you interested in making that work available as an audiobook?

ACX (the Audiobook Creation Exchange) simplifies the process of connecting authors/rights holders to potential narrators and producers.  Once the work is produced and approved by the author, ACX provides distribution of the audio through Audible.com, iTunes, and Amazon.com.

My own narrator/producer profile can be found here.

https://www.acx.com/

Read-Along Apple Apps

In 2011 I had the pleasure of lending my voice to some read-along apps for children's books.  This is one of many services that Author Solutions offers to those who choose to self-publish through them.  Version 1.0 of these should have my narration; with version 1.1 the option of recording your own narration was added, along with, I believe, the ability to color in the pictures yourself.

Miss Kayla's Tea Party
iPhone app
iPad app

Sprucie the Whispering Pine Tree Who Wanted to Shout
iPhone app
iPad app

Peace at the Watering Place
iPhone app
iPad app
Book
(I recall this one as being particularly lovely; you know a child who would benefit from the prose/poetry of this book.  I'm sure you do.)

Party Animals Howling at the Potato Moon
iPhone app
iPad app

Adventures of Dolittle the BumbleBee in: The Danger Sensor
iPhone app
iPad app