Thursday, May 29, 2014

Huntress Moon is an audiobook!


I said I had announcements to make - well, here's the first. The audiobook of Huntress Moon is now available!

Even better -  if you already own the Kindle edition, you can add audio for just $3.47.  And the e book is now on sale for Nook for $3.99

One of the reasons I've been so silent these days is that along with my usual writing schedule I've ben working on the audiobook of Huntress MoonAudiobooks of Blood Moon and Cold Moon will be coming later this year, but this is one I worked on myself through Amazon's ACX program - that's Audiobook Creation Exchange.  



I just got back from the Romantic Times Booklovers convention, one of the biggest conventions I go to all year, and I was surprised at how many panels and workshops there were with titles like "Audio is the New Black." I met up with lots of author friends who have been doing a brisk business in audiobooks through the ACX program, and I thought I'd better blog a little about it here, because this is another potential income stream that authors need to be aware of these days, and ACX is a terrific production and distribution resource. Even if you know exactly zero about audiobook production (that would be me!), the ACX site has streamlined the process into a step-by-step system that anyone can follow to produce a quality audiobook. 

ACX has thousands of professional and highly experienced actor-producers already signed up for the program. When you start an audio book, you choose a five-minute segment of your book for actors to audition with and upload that to the ACX site, and specify the qualities of voice that you're looking for (comic, brooding, spooky, etc.) You choose whether you'll pay the narrator a flat fee yourself, or do a royalty share deal. Then the project gets posted to ACX's entire stable of actor-producers, and immediately auditions start coming in. You can also browse for actors yourself by searching vocal and tonal qualities and listening to samples.  I was having flashbacks to my directing days as I listened to over three dozen auditions. (I know, yike - but you don't have to listen to the whole audition to know if a narrator is in the running). 

I actually found my terrific narrator, RC Bray, myself, by searching auditions on the site. I was blown away by Bob's vocal range (just wait till you hear his reading of Epps!), and the way he's able to convey theme and suspense in his reading. Bob loved Huntress and signed up to do the book immediately, and he's such a professional that we had no problem working together by e mail. I could ask him to do something in a slightly different way and he'd instantly get it.  I'm thrilled with the book and I hope you audiobook listeners will be, too.

I've really enjoyed working on the audio version of Huntress, though I have to warn it's a lot of work. But ACX's team was incredibly supportive and helpful - any time I hit a snag or didn't understand a step in the process, I could contact the support team and get talked through it. I know other authors opt to make audio deals with great companies like Audible rather than taking on production themselves, but I love that I'm now going to make the lion's share of profit from this book. I think maybe a mix of self-produced and company-produced books might be the way to go, just as a hybrid mix of indie published and traditionally published books can be the most profitable (and manageable!) route for authors these days.

I highly recommend that all authors check out the ACX site and read about how the process works. And of course I'd love to hear from others of you who have worked on your own audiobooks! What was your experience?

- Alex

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------



FBI Special Agent Matthew Roarke is just closing in on a bust of a major criminal organization in San Francisco when he witnesses an undercover member of his team killed right in front of him on a busy street, an accident Roarke can't believe is coincidental. His suspicions put him on the trail of a mysterious young woman who appears to have been present at each scene of a years-long string of "accidents" and murder, and who may well be that most rare of killers: a female serial.  

Roarke's hunt for her takes him across three states... while in a small coastal town, a young father and his five-year old son, both wounded from a recent divorce, encounter a lost and compelling young woman on the beach and strike up an unlikely friendship without realizing how deadly she may be.

As Roarke uncovers the shocking truth of her background, he realizes she is on a mission of her own, and must race to capture her before more blood is shed.  

Now available in audio!


Also, Huntress Moon is now available for Nook for just $3.99. 

Barnes & Noble

Huntress Moon book club discussion questions


- The story begins with Agent Greer's death and Roarke witnessing the mysterious blond woman in a turtleneck. What were your early conjectures about her? Were you believing her to be a paid assassin?

- Roarke seemed to have an unusual connection to this mystery woman from the onset. What do you think of this phenomenon? Is it limited to just the Huntress, in your opinion?

- When did you begin to see a connection between the victims?

- Connecting the victims to the Huntress required some intricate procedural work. What was your opinion of the work overall? Was the team ahead of you or were you ahead of them?

- The only murder by the Huntress that we as readers witnessed from her perspective was that of the trucker at the rest stop. What are your thoughts about this?

- Were you ever concerned that Mark Sebastian was a potential target of the Huntress? His son Jason? Why or why not?

- The Huntress appeared to have a strong, affectionate relationship to Jason. Do you think she has feelings for Mark?

- Why do you thin the Huntress spared Mark Sebastian’s ex-wife and killed her dealer/pedophile boyfriend instead?

- Preacherman was the only victim (that we know of) that does not appear to have had a sexual predator connection. How do you think he got on the Huntress’ radar?

- When did you begin to suspect that the Huntress had a specific method or mission to her killings?

- Do you believe the Huntress and Roarke have a unique bond?

- We learn that Cara/Leila is an avenger and her victims to date were predators of a sort. What are your feelings about what she’s done? What do you feel should be done with her if she’s captured?

- Roarke appears to have somewhat complex feelings about Cara. Has he lost his perspective, or is he dealing with an unusual/paranormal connection, or something else? Explain your rationale.

- Do you believe you know all there was to know about Agent Greer’s role in the human trafficking business? Do you believe he had crossed the line in his undercover work? Why or why not?

- Why do you think the Huntress set Greer’s death up to look like an accident when the others’ deaths were done more brutally and covertly? Do you think she knew he was an undercover agent?

- What is your opinion of Matthew Roarke? Do you believe he will be drawn back to the BAU and profiling?

- What is your opinion of Roarke and Epps as a team?

- The story ends with Cara still at large and Roarke determined to find her. How do you feel about this cliffhanger approach?

- Do you see a potential romantic connection between Roarke and Cara?

- How would you rate the book as a mystery? Did you have sufficient clues to help you in your ongoing deductions?

- Were there any standout moments in this story?

- What’s your overall opinion of the book? Do you plan to continue the series with Blood Moon and Cold Moon?



       Discussion questions by Jonetta, The Book Nympho

       Read The Book Nympho’s interview with Alex 

       See the Huntress Moon discussion on Shelfari’s Mystery and Suspense group.



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Thursday, May 22, 2014

Huntress Moon is an audiobook!

I said I had announcements to make - well, here's the first. The audiobook of Huntress Moon is now available!

Even better -  if you already own the Kindle edition, you can add audio for just $3.47.  And the e book is now on sale for Nook for $3.99

One of the reasons I've been so silent these days is that along with my usual writing schedule I've ben working on the audiobook of Huntress MoonAudiobooks of Blood Moon and Cold Moon will be coming later this year, but this is one I worked on myself through Amazon's ACX program - that's Audiobook Creation Exchange.  



I just got back from the Romantic Times Booklovers convention, one of the biggest conventions I go to all year, and I was surprised at how many panels and workshops there were with titles like "Audio is the New Black." I met up with lots of author friends who have been doing a brisk business in audiobooks through the ACX program, and I thought I'd better blog a little about it here, because this is another potential income stream that authors need to be aware of these days, and ACX is a terrific production and distribution resource. Even if you know exactly zero about audiobook production (that would be me!), the ACX site has streamlined the process into a step-by-step system that anyone can follow to produce a quality audiobook. 

ACX has thousands of professional and highly experienced actor-producers already signed up for the program. When you start an audio book, you choose a five-minute segment of your book for actors to audition with and upload that to the ACX site, and specify the qualities of voice that you're looking for (comic, brooding, spooky, etc.) You choose whether you'll pay the narrator a flat fee yourself, or do a royalty share deal. Then the project gets posted to ACX's entire stable of actor-producers, and immediately auditions start coming in. You can also browse for actors yourself by searching vocal and tonal qualities and listening to samples.  I was having flashbacks to my directing days as I listened to over three dozen auditions. (I know, yike - but you don't have to listen to the whole audition to know if a narrator is in the running). 

I actually found my terrific narrator, RC Bray, myself, by searching auditions on the site. I was blown away by Bob's vocal range (just wait till you hear his reading of Epps!), and the way he's able to convey theme and suspense in his reading. Bob loved Huntress and signed up to do the book immediately, and he's such a professional that we had no problem working together by e mail. I could ask him to do something in a slightly different way and he'd instantly get it.  I'm thrilled with the book and I hope you audiobook listeners will be, too.

I've really enjoyed working on the audio version of Huntress, though I have to warn it's a lot of work. But ACX's team was incredibly supportive and helpful - any time I hit a snag or didn't understand a step in the process, I could contact the support team and get talked through it. I know other authors opt to make audio deals with great companies like Audible rather than taking on production themselves, but I love that I'm now going to make the lion's share of profit from this book. I think maybe a mix of self-produced and company-produced books might be the way to go, just as a hybrid mix of indie published and traditionally published books can be the most profitable (and manageable!) route for authors these days.

I highly recommend that all authors check out the ACX site and read about how the process works. And of course I'd love to hear from others of you who have worked on your own audiobooks! What was your experience?

- Alex

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------



FBI Special Agent Matthew Roarke is just closing in on a bust of a major criminal organization in San Francisco when he witnesses an undercover member of his team killed right in front of him on a busy street, an accident Roarke can't believe is coincidental. His suspicions put him on the trail of a mysterious young woman who appears to have been present at each scene of a years-long string of "accidents" and murder, and who may well be that most rare of killers: a female serial.  

Roarke's hunt for her takes him across three states... while in a small coastal town, a young father and his five-year old son, both wounded from a recent divorce, encounter a lost and compelling young woman on the beach and strike up an unlikely friendship without realizing how deadly she may be.

As Roarke uncovers the shocking truth of her background, he realizes she is on a mission of her own, and must race to capture her before more blood is shed.  

Now available in audio!


Also, Huntress Moon is now available for Nook for just $3.99. 

Barnes & Noble