Audiobook Blog Tour: The Girl That Vanished by A.J. Rivers

 

About Audiobook #2

Author: A.J. Rivers

Narrator: Claire Duncan

Length:  5 hours  48 minutes

Publisher: Altered Path⎮2020

Genre:  Thriller

Series: Emma Griffin FBI, Book 2

Release date:  Sep. 16, 2020

 

 

 

 

Synopsis: Ring…Ring…

One call from her past was all it took to change everything.

A ten-year-old girl has vanished on her way home from camp.

And things took a turn for the worse when another child, a child that Emma knows, goes missing.

Disappearances, death, and tragedies has followed Emma Griffin throughout her childhood.

Her obsession with finding out the truth behind her past was what led her to join the FBI.

It’s been months since the horror of Feather Nest.

After the shocking revelation of the last case, FBI agent Emma Griffin decides to take a much-needed vacation.

But a phone call from Sheriff Sam Johnson, a man from her past, completely derails her plans.

A young girl has disappeared, and another child has gone missing.

With the number count slowly climbing.

Emma must now put her plans on hold, go back to her hometown and face some ghosts from her past.

When a mysterious package appears on her birthday.

Emma can’t shake the feeling that someone is monitoring her every movement.

Someone is getting too close for comfort.

The question is who?

In the close-knit town of Sherwood, the truth is never as it seems.

 

Buy Links for Audiobook #2

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Another good FBI mystery by A.J. Rivers.  I think if there’s one hallmark of the Emma Griffin series its great suspense! Rivers knows how to keep you turning the pages to find out what happens next. Who’s kidnapping these children? How are they related to Emma Griffin? What’s their motivation?Many suspenseful books I find boring, but this series is an exception. I chalk that up to good writing. Recommended! 

About the Author: A.J. Rivers

 

A.J. Rivers loves all things mystery and thriller. Growing up in a sleepy small town, A.J. spent her days enthralled in crime solving novels and movies. She started creating stories at a young age to escape and create adventures for herself. As a child she dreamed of solving crimes and becoming a crime fighter. She dreamed of being as great as her favorite crime solving character Sherlock Holmes. While in college she realized that leading a crime fighting life might be more gruesome than she could stomach. She decided that the best course of action would be to fuse her love of writing with her love of thrilling mysteries together.

She finds inspiration from researching true crimes and is passionate about writing suspenseful novels with crazy twists. Twists that you’ll never see coming. The inspiration for her first novel came when she read a news article about a missing young woman in a small town that was never found. Her question on who, what, and why brought her to her journal to discovering the dark twisted story behind the disappearance and to seek justice for the victim through her writing.

Her thriller novels have elements of mystery, suspense, and romance.

When she’s not absorbed in a novel or working on her next thriller mystery, her favorite past time is spent with her husky. She finds great inspiration while going on hikes with her dog.

 

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About the Narrator: Claire Duncan

 

Claire Duncan is a multi-award winning actress living in NYC.  She has performed Off-Broadway, regionally, and in national tours, and appeared in the Drama Desk nominated revival of The Threepenny Opera. She has played the lead in a dozen films, and received a Best Actress Award for her work as Rosetta in the dark comedy Rosetta’s Blues, which debuted at Cannes. As a singer, she had the honor of performing at Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center, and toured the country as a travel host with Visit The USA.

Claire’s broad career has shaped her into an exceptional and flexible voice artist. You can hear her on Nickelodeon and Comedy Central, in hundreds of national commercials, and in over thirty audiobooks. 

“Claire Duncan was a dynamo”  – New York Stage Review

 “Simply side-splitting… a terrific comedic actress” – Show Business Weekly

Proud member of SAG-AFTRA and AEA.

 

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Audiobook Blog Tour: Cradle to Grave Kay Hunter Book #8 by Rachel Amphlett

About the Audiobook

Author: Rachel Amphlett

Narrator: Alison Campbell

Length: 7 hours 56 minutes

Publisher: Saxon Publishing⎮2019

Genre: Mystery, Police Procedural

Series: Detective Kay Hunter, Book 8

Release date: Oct. 15, 2019

Synopsis: When a faceless body is found floating in the river on a summer’s morning, Detective Kay Hunter and her team are tasked with finding out the man’s identity and where he came from.

The investigation takes a sinister turn when an abandoned boat is found, covered in blood stains and containing a child’s belongings.

Under mounting pressure from a distraught family and an unforgiving media, the police are in a race against time – but they have no leads and no motive for the events that have taken place.

Will Kay be able to find a ruthless killer and a missing child before it’s too late?

Cradle to Grave is the eighth book in the Detective Kay Hunter series by USA Today best-selling author Rachel Amphlett and perfect for listeners who love fast-paced murder mysteries.

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Coming back to book #8 in the Kay Hunter series was like meeting up again with old time friends. I always enjoy a good crime thriller, or police procedural, especially one based in the UK.  Author Rachel Amphlett writes a tight plot that’ll keep you guessing until the very end. 

 

About the Author: Rachel Amphlett

Before turning to writing, Rachel Amphlett played guitar in bands, worked as a TV and film extra, dabbled in radio as a presenter and freelance producer for the BBC, and worked in publishing as a sub-editor and editorial assistant.

She now wields a pen instead of a plectrum and writes crime fiction and spy novels, including the Dan Taylor espionage novels and the Detective Kay Hunter series.

Originally from the UK and currently based in Brisbane, Australia, Rachel cites her writing influences as Michael Connelly, Lee Child, and Robert Ludlum. She’s also a huge fan of Peter James, Val McDermid, Robert Crais, Stuart MacBride, and many more.

She’s a member of International Thriller Writers and the Crime Writers Association, with the Italian foreign rights for her debut novel, White Gold sold to Fanucci Editore’s TIMECrime imprint, and the first four books in the Dan Taylor espionage series contracted to Germany’s Luzifer Verlag.

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About the Narrator: Allison Campbell

Alison Campbell is an actress based in Bristol, U.K. She has lent her voice to 50+ audiobooks, cartoons, documentaries and dramas. She can be found treading the boards across the country, in everything from Shakespeare to hip hop kids adventures. On screen she has appeared in dramas and science documentaries, her most recent co star was a CGI elephant. She can also be found performing the Natural Theatre Company’s award-winning surreal brand of interactive comedy around the globe.

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Blog Tour: Bridge To Burn by Rachel Amphlett


 

 

 

 

 

 

When a mummified body is found in a renovated building, the gruesome discovery leads Detective Kay Hunter and her team into a complex murder investigation.

The subsequent police inquiry exposes corruption, lies, and organized crime within the tight-knit community – and Kay’s determination to seek justice for the young murder victim could ruin the reputations of men who will do anything to protect their business interests.

But as Kay closes in on the killer, tragedy strikes closer to home in an event that will send a shockwave through her personal life and make her question everything she values. Can Kay keep her private and professional life under control while she tries to unravel one of the strangest murder cases of her career?

Have you discovered the Kay Hunter British detective murder mysteries yet?

 

 

 



It’s always great crime and detective fiction in the Kay Hunter series. A body is found under bizarre circumstances, leaving Hunter and her team scrambling to find answers. Lies, cover ups, deception, family drama–Detective Kay Hunter has her hands full!  This series is full of creative plots that won’t disappoint. 

 

 

About the Author: Rachel Amphlett

Before turning to writing, Rachel Amphlett played guitar in bands, worked as a TV and film extra, dabbled in radio as a presenter and freelance producer for the BBC, and worked in publishing as a sub-editor and editorial assistant.

 

She now wields a pen instead of a plectrum and writes crime fiction and spy novels, including the Dan Taylor espionage novels and the Detective Kay Hunter series.

 

Originally from the UK and currently based in Brisbane, Australia, Rachel cites her writing influences as Michael Connelly, Lee Child, and Robert Ludlum. She’s also a huge fan of Peter James, Val McDermid, Robert Crais, Stuart MacBride, and many more.

 

She’s a member of International Thriller Writers and the Crime Writers Association, with the Italian foreign rights for her debut novel, White Gold sold to Fanucci Editore’s TIMECrime imprint, and the first four books in the Dan Taylor espionage series contracted to Germany’s Luzifer Verlag.

 

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Peter & Steven James Discuss Three Aspects of Emotionally Engaging Fiction

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Internationally Bestselling author Steven James hosts Crime writer Steven James on the Story Blender

 

 

This podcast originally appears on thestoryblender.com June 25, 2018. Duration 58 min.

 

Topics of discussion:

  • Elements of Crime fiction
  • Psychopaths
  • Three Aspects of Emotionally Engaging Fiction
  • Character, Research, Plot
  • Peter Jame’s writing process

 

 

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About Peter James

Peter James is an international bestselling thriller writer. He is a New York Times bestseller, as well as having 11 consecutive Sunday Times No 1s, and he is published in 37 languages. His DS Roy Grace crime novels have sold 18 million copies worldwide. Prior to becoming a full-time author, he was responsible for 25 movies. In 1994 Penguin published his novel, ‘Host’, on two floppy discs as the world’s first electronic novel. His novels have won numerous awards, most recently the coveted 2016 CWA Diamond Dagger for sustained excellence, and he was publicly voted by WH Smith – Britain’s biggest book selling chain – The Best Crime Author Of All Time. Visit him on YouTube: http://www.peterjames.com/youtube
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Audiobook Review: Gone to Ground by Rachel Amphlett

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Some secrets should stay buried forever…

 

 

Gone to Ground Cover AUDIO

 

 

About the Audiobook

Author: Rachel Amphlett

Narrator: Alison Campbell

Length: hours minutes

Publisher: Saxon Publishing⎮2018

Genre: Mystery, Police Procedural

Series: Detective Kay Hunter, Book 6

Release date: July 4, 2018

 

Synopsis: While attending a crime scene on the outskirts of Maidstone, DI Kay Hunter makes a shocking discovery.

The victim has been brutally cut to pieces, his identity unknown.


When more body parts start turning up in the Kentish countryside, Kay realises the disturbing truth – a serial killer is at large and must be stopped at all costs.

With no motive for the murders and a killer who has gone undetected until now, Kay and her team of detectives must work fast to calm a terrified local population and a scornful media.

When a third victim is found, her investigation grows even more complicated.

As she begins to expose a dark underbelly to the county town, Kay and her team are pulled into a web of jealousy and intrigue that, if left unchecked, will soon claim another life.

 

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DI Kay Hunter and her team have their hands full trying to identify the victims of a killer who only leaves remains.  Kay Hunter British Detective book 6 definitely has more suspense than previous ones. It’ll keep you guessing until the very end. The case gets more complicated as time goes on and leaves the team more baffled than when they first began.  I always trust author Rachel Amphlett to pen a good crime mystery.

 

 

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Audioboook Review: The Bone Collector by Jeffery Deaver

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In his most gripping thriller yet, Jeffery Deaver takes readers on a terrifying ride into two ingenious minds…that of a physically challenged detective and the scheming killer he must stop. The detective was the former head of forensics at the NYPD, but is now a quadriplegic who can only exercise his mind. The killer is a man whose obsession with old New York helps him choose his next victim. Now, with the help of a beautiful young cop, this diabolical killer must be stopped before he can kill again!

 

Audible | Goodreads

 

 

 

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NARRATOR PERFORMANCE: 7/10

 

  • Narrator-Story Connection:  10/10

I could tell narrator Connor O’Brien was fully enveloped in the story throughout this book. It makes it that much easier to enter into the story as a listener.

 

  • Voice Creation/Switch Over:  9/10

I have to give honor where honor is due. The voice creation, narrator voice and switching back and forth was stunning, professional and creative. The only thing I’d say here is some of the characters sound less intelligent. For instance some of the law enforcement officials sound like they’re “dumb” when they shouldn’t. It resembled some of the goons that the bad guys have at times.

The Voice of Lincoln Rhyme I thought was perfect. Somewhat stoical, nerdy,  with a nose for facts. Good fit. Emelia Sachs was also beautifully portrayed, especially for a male narrator. She was simple, innocent, yet firm and compassionate.

 

  • Pacing 8/10

It took me some time to get used to the narrator’s pace, but it was no problem after that.

 

  • Emphasis 10/10

Brilliant here. Each character was made more realistic by skilled emphasis.

 

  • Reader-Story Connection  10/10

I believe each narrator is a medium through which we see the story come alive–or not.  This narrator did a great job all said and done because I loved the story!

 

  • Sound Quality: 10/10

Publisher:  Penguin Audio

Excellent sound production.

 

  • Overall Performance: 8/10 

Connor O’Brien is a skilled narrator who knows how to bring a story to life. Admittedly, it took me some time to get used to his narrative voice, but this was no problem in the end. Great story and performance.

 

 

 

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Writer Types Podcast features Kellye Garrett, Alex Segura and Naomi Hirahara. 

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An Anthony Award-nominated crime and mystery podcast co-hosted by S.W. Lauden and Eric Beetner.

 

Writer Types Podcast features Kellye Garrett, Alex Segura and Naomi Hirahara.

 

 

This episode originally appears on the Writertypes Podcast Duration 45 min.

The Unpanel features comedic crime writers Bill Fitzhugh, Ellen Byron, Mike McCrary and Alex Shaffer. Plus an excerpt from “May” by Marietta Miles.

 

 

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Audiobook Blog Tour: The The Ace of Clubs by Patricia Loofbourrow

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About Audiobook #3

Author: Patricia Loofbourrow

Narrator: Machelle Williams

Length: 8 hours 4 minutes

Publisher: Red Dog Press, LLC⎮2018

Genre: Noir Mystery, Steampunk Crime Fiction

Series: The Red Dog Conspiracy, Book 3

Release date: Jan. 26, 2018

 

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Synopsis: Trapped. Betrayed. Desperate.

Could you betray your family to buy your freedom?

From NY Times and USA Today best-selling author Patricia Loofbourrow….

The one secret which could destroy everything….

After financial disaster and the zeppelin bombing, the far-future, domed, neo-Victorian city of Bridges is reeling. Three of the four Families are implicated, and an inquest is called to investigate.

After her failure to prove Jack Diamond’s guilt in David Bryce’s kidnapping and the murders of her informants, private eye and mobster’s moll Jacqueline Spadros has had enough. While she and her former lover Joseph Kerr try to learn who killed their family friend, they also begin making plans to leave the city.

Her tormentors, however, are just getting started. As their web of lies and forgery draws ever tighter, Jacqui begins to see how deep the conspiracy against her and the Spadros Family really goes.

When she’s called as a witness in the inquest, the secrets Jacqui has kept over the years come back to cause her serious trouble. Will she be able to escape Bridges? Or will she be forced to face the terrible consequences of her lies and trickery once and for all?

 

Buy Links for Audiobook #3

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Welcome to part 3 of the Red Dog Conspiracy with the Ace of Clubs. I believe this is the best of the first three books thus far. But I had to remind myself that this is a 13-part serial novel! Quite interesting, eh? Indeed. The plot begins to take shape in this book when more secrets are revealed and things are brought out into the open. The Family crime drama continues…

Narrator Machelle Williams has a sweet voice and has a way of luring into the story. Each book gets better with her performance and familiarity with the characters. I’ll do a full review of the her performance soon on the AudioSpy.

 

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NARRATOR PERFORMANCE: 7/10

  Machelle Williams

 

  • Narrator-Story Connection: 8/10

Machelle Williams does a great job being immersed in the story herself. This brings out the better performances of narrators. Great job.

 

  • Voice Switch Over:  7/10

The narrator displays a good voice for children and the protagonist, Jacqueline Spadros. The voices of Anthony (spouse), household servants, and french accent were notable.

 

  • Pacing 8/10

The narrators pace was great and in sync with the type of story presented.

 

  • Emphasis 7/10

Good emphasis in character portrayals with their personalities, reactions, etc. Of course, my favorite was Jacqueline Spadros herself with the slew of circumstances she has to encounter.

 

  • Reader-Story Connection  7/10 

It took me a bit longer to finish audiobooks 1-3 for some reason, but I kept coming back to see what happened next and learn more about the neo-victorian city of Bridges with their crime families.

 

Sound Quality: 7/10

Publisher: Red Dog Press, LLC

The first book had decreased sound quality with background noise. It wasn’t overbearing but noticeable. Books 2 -3 were a lot better.

 

Overall Performance: 7/10

Overall it was a good audiobook performance for books 1-3. Narrator Machelle Williams has a very sweet voice and soft approach to the story. It kept me coming back to fine out more.

 

 

 

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Audiobook Blog Tour: Detective Hunter Series Book 4 – Hell To Pay

Detective Kay Hunter

 

 

Detective Kay Hunter #4 – Hell to Pay

 

 

Hell to Pay Cover AUDIO

 

 

About Audiobook #4

Author: Rachel Amphlett

Narrator: Alison Campbell

Length: 7 hours 14 minutes

Publisher: Saxon Publishing⎮2018

Genre: Mystery, Police Procedural

Series: Detective Kay Hunter, Book 4

Release date: Jan. 01, 2018

 

 

 

 

Synopsis: When a road traffic accident on a dark autumn night uncovers a disturbing conspiracy, Detective Sergeant Kay Hunter’s investigation exposes a ruthless serial killer exploiting vulnerable young women.

With her enemies unmasked and her career spiraling out of control, Kay’s determination to seek vengeance for the victims brings her dangerously close to those who want to silence her.


Undeterred, she uncovers the real reason behind a plot to destroy her career and sets in motion a terrifying chain of events.

 

Buy Links for Audiobook #4

Buy on RachelAmphlett.com

 

Rachel Amphlett does it again in book 4 of the series, Hell to Pay. Crafting a sinister plot that Detective Kay Hunter will find all to personal. This series has become on of my favorites of the year in crime fiction. And for good reason–They’re awesome! Kay comes across an old adversary when she come across a traffic accident with links to a ruthless serial killer. Brewing at the same time is a mysterious drama related to Kay. Another great one!

Narrator Alison Campbell is a pleasure to listen to in every book. Very professional and skilled at conveying the emotions of the characters. She delivers an exceptional performance in every book. Way to Alison!

 

 

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About the Author: Rachel Amphlett

Before turning to writing, Rachel Amphlett played guitar in bands, worked as a TV and film extra, dabbled in radio as a presenter and freelance producer for the BBC, and worked in publishing as a sub-editor and editorial assistant.

She now wields a pen instead of a plectrum and writes crime fiction and spy novels, including the Dan Taylor espionage novels and the Detective Kay Hunter series.

Originally from the UK and currently based in Brisbane, Australia, Rachel cites her writing influences as Michael Connelly, Lee Child, and Robert Ludlum. She’s also a huge fan of Peter James, Val McDermid, Robert Crais, Stuart MacBride, and many more.

She’s a member of International Thriller Writers and the Crime Writers Association, with the Italian foreign rights for her debut novel, White Gold sold to Fanucci Editore’s TIMECrime imprint, and the first four books in the Dan Taylor espionage series contracted to Germany’s Luzifer Verlag.

 

WebsiteTwitterFacebookGoodreadsInstagram

 

 

 

Alison Campbell photo by Libby Christenson

 

 

Narrator Alison Campbell

 

 

 

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Audiobook Blog Tour: The Jacq of Spades & Interview with Patricia Loofbourrow

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The Red Dog Conspiracy book 1

 

 

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About Audiobook #1

 

Author: Patricia Loofbourrow

Narrator: Machelle Williams

Length: 8 hours 31 minutes

Publisher: Red Dog Press, LLC⎮2016

Genre: Noir Mystery, Steampunk Crime Fiction

Series: The Red Dog Conspiracy, Book 1

Release date: Aug. 2, 2016

 

 

 

 

Synopsis: In a far future US, the once-beautiful domed neo-Victorian city of Bridges is split between four crime families in an uneasy cease-fire. With social disparity increasing and its steam-driven infrastructure failing, a new faction is on the rise: the Red Dogs.

Jacqueline Spadros has a dream life: a wealthy husband, a powerful family. But her life is not what it seems. Kidnapped from her mother’s brothel and forced to marry, the murder of her best friend Air 10 years before haunts her nightmares. She finds moments of freedom in a small-time private-eye business, which she hides in fear of her sadistic father-in-law.

Air’s little brother disappears off his back porch and the Red Dogs are framed for it. With the help of a mysterious gentleman investigator hired by the Red Dogs to learn the truth, Jacqui pushes her abilities to their limits in hope of rescuing the child before the kidnapper disposes of him.

 

Buy Links for Audiobook #1

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Patricia Loofbourrow has created a fascinating Steampunk series settled in a far future US. The neo-Victorian city of Bridges is ruled by the wealthy in this dystopian tale. Jacqueline Spadros, who was forced to marry into a powerful family of Bridges, is set in motion with the disappearance of young child and tasked to find him. The story deepens as people begin dying and more secrets are revealed. A very interesting book! I’m looking forward to see what happens in the next book, The Queen of Diamonds. 

 

 

 

 

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Was a possible audiobook recording something you were conscious of while writing?

Not with the first one. It was only after several readers requested an audiobook that I considered doing one of The Jacq of Spades.

 

How did you select your narrator?

It was very difficult to find a narrator for my first book. I got no auditions at all in six months so my ACX account was closed down due to inactivity! So when I decided to do the audiobook I went back and searched through the narrator profiles until I found several whose sound I liked and contacted them. Most didn’t even get back to me until after I picked Machelle! I’m glad looking back that it happened this way because I had listed myself as revenue share the first time and I know I would have been unhappy with that.

 

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?

As best I could. Machelle is great in that she does everything – old, young, men, women – I had her doing all sorts of accents and she just went with it. Even a foreign language! I sent her to speak with my cousin Dr. Christophe Landry for help with Kourí-Viní, which is spoken in The Queen of Diamonds. And of course there are unusual names and situations in my story which I did give her tips on.

 

 

 

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How do you manage to avoid burn-out?

What do you do to maintain your enthusiasm for writing? I love writing. I like to say I’m a story addict – I don’t write every day, but I’m thinking of my stories and what might make them better.

 

Are you an audiobook listener?

What about the audiobook format appeals to you? I don’t listen to audiobooks except when editing my own.

 

 

 

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About the Author: Patricia Loofbourrow

Patricia Loofbourrow, MD is a NY Times and USA Today best-selling science fiction writer, PC gamer, ornamental food gardener, fiber artist, and wildcrafter who loves power tools, dancing, genetics and anything to do with outer space. She was born in southern California and has lived in Chicago and Tokyo. She currently lives in Oklahoma with her husband and three grown children.

 

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Narrator Machelle Williams

 

 

About the Narrator: Machelle Williams

As an audiobook narrator with 23 years of experience moving audiences with her voice through corporate facilitation and public speaking, Machelle knows how to connect with the intent of the author to bring their vision to life. Her compelling yet casual voice draws the listener close, transporting them deep into the story and keeping them hanging on every word with full attention and anticipation.

Machelle’s voice is nuanced and delivers reads that range from soft and soothing to dramatic and smoky. She specializes in Mysteries & Thrillers, but her Bespoke repertoire also includes Non-Fiction, Religious, Urban and Noire.

Machelle is based in Northern Virginia with her two Boston Terriers, Daphne and Lilah, and her fully equipped studio from which she provides quick turn-around of professional quality recordings.

When you need a narrator to take your listener to the edge of their seat and their breath away – trust the telling to Machelle.

 

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