Summer Readers Circle: Award-winning Author Miss Mae's Audiobook--Catch Me If You Can, Free Gift

Hello and welcome to the Summer Readers Circle on the J.Q. Rose Blog. 

Award-winning author Miss Mae joins the circle this week.

Please welcome to the Readers Circle award-winning mystery author and zany creator of I.B. Nosey, Miss Mae. (More about I.B. later.) This week we have something different for you to enjoy, a romantic mystery audiobook, Catch Me If You Can by Miss Mae. 

Miss Mae, a dear friend and talented author, with the help of her producer, Roger Rittner, have created an amazing audiobook. The story is produced like a play you could listen to on the radio with several different voices and amazing sound effects. I loved the experience.

My Review of Catch Me If You Can--Miss Mae certainly caught me in her web of intrigue. Just when I thought I may have figured out who the killer was, then a twist popped in to take me to another level of mystery. Layered storytelling that smoothly wove together a nail-biter,intense story. The author juggled many distinct characters in conflict with each other AND the conflict of surviving a hurricane category 5! You just don't know what will happen next, so the story keeps you reading. Enjoy the heart-pounding action. 

Thank you, Miss Mae for answering my deep, thought-provoking, amazing questions this week. LOL.

You're welcome, JQ. Always glad to be on the J.Q. Rose blog.

1) Why did you write this story? What inspired it? 
MM: Hm, that’s a good question! It was a combination of things – I watched a TV show that showed files hidden in a CD disc, and I thought, ‘Ooh, that’d be cool to write a plot around something like that.’ And I love computer games, so I wanted to add that concept. Plus, I needed my characters forced in one location, meaning they had no choice but to interact. I’ve never forgotten hurricane Hugo of 1989 (we lived in Savannah at the time where Hugo was predicted to hit) and thought that’d make a great ‘no escape’ setting. So I meshed it all together.
 2) Why did you make the decision to make it an audio book? 
 MM: I’ve loved the idea of audio. When I learned it was possible for narrators to agree about sharing the profits, I went for it. I already had three audio books for sale and went searching for a new one to produce “Catch Me If You Can”. I hit the jackpot when I found Roger Rittner – and more so when he agreed to take me on.

Producer Roger Rittner

 3) How did you find the actors and producer to produce the audio book? 
 MM: As mentioned in the above answer, I searched around for producers and came upon Roger’s site. When I listened to the samples of his work, I was blown away. I loved how he added sound effects, music score, and background accents. Plus, he hired a whole cast of actors to “play” the characters. It reminded me of the old radio shows and I thought, ‘This will be absolutely incredible for my book!’ 

To answer the question about my “finding” the actors – I didn’t. When Roger Rittner takes on a project, it then becomes his project. He works to make it the absolute best and won’t compromise on quality. Based in Los Angeles, he uses Hollywood’s best voice artists. Did you know, we’ve actually heard these actors’ voices hundreds of times in television commercials, or in cartoons, or in video games, etc. Robin Riker, who plays my heroine, Lois, currently stars in ABC’s ‘General Hospital’. Stephen Mendel plays my hero, Victor, and has starred in many television guest roles; J.W. Terry plays various characters in my book, such as Bob, Rajah, Pete, and is the voice of ‘Whisper’ in Yo-Kai Watch; Toni Attell, an Emmy-nominated actress and acting coach, speaks for both my Jenna and B.J.; and Dave Mallow is a professional voice actor ‘sounding’ in many television shows, such as Everybody Loves Raymond and Roseanne, and he speaks for Jared, Andy, and my ‘mystery man’. My character, Mite the dog…well, he plays himself. 

 4) Has I.B. Nosey listened to ‘Catch Me If You Can’? Has the Pukelitzer Award winning cyberspace reporter interviewed you about it? 

Cyber Reporter, I.B. Nosey

 MM: I.B. Nosey? Would he have time to listen? He’s so busy, flying on that rope ladder beneath Gander’s helicopter to such exciting places as Here and There and Everywhere, that it’s tough for him to settle down for a couple of minutes and do anything except to snack on a box of Gum Drop Island chocolates. 

If your readers aren’t aware, I.B. Nosey is a character I’ve created. When presenting interviews for my guests, I wanted to come across from a different angle, so I invented a ‘reporter’. And thank goodness for freedom of the press, people! Without it, how could we have a professional like Nosey who’s a firm believer in, and a confirmed spreader of official unofficial unfake-real news? He also partakes in –  gleefully, and without asking your permission, thank you very much– his trademark ‘probing questions no accredited journalist would deem intelligent, let alone newsworthy enough, to ask.’ He alone is the ‘fleet of foot, wide of mouth, and fluent of tongue-in-cheek’ reporter. 

 You ask if I’ve allowed Nosey to interview me. I answer…What do you think I am? Crazy??? 

***

 Janet, thanks so much for hosting me today. I’ve enjoyed talking up a ‘storm’ about my audio book “Catch Me If You Can” (which is a 2017 platinum award winner in the Hermes Creative International Competition), and of ¬warn- er, um, that is, telling your readers about Nosey. 

 I’d be happy if anyone would like to visit my site to learn more about me. And why not sign up for my newsletter? I only send monthly, and they’re short and to the point. You’ll receive my space opera novella, Through a Glass Darkly, as your free gift. 

 *** 

Catch Me If You Can by Miss Mae
 Thrilling Romantic Mystery Audiobook 
produced and directed by Roger Rittner

About the Audiobook:
You Can Now Hear the 2017 Platinum Hermes Creative Award-Winning mystery, Catch Me If You Can. The howling wind of a hurricane. The creak of footsteps on the stairs. The wailing of a dog in the dark of night. "Catch Me If You Can", the thrilling romantic mystery by award-winning author Miss Mae, is now available in an enhanced audiobook at PulpRadio.net. Catch Me If You Can received five-star reader ratings at Amazon.com, and the brand new audio version enhances the story with extensive sound effects, background accents, and a complete music score. 

The story is performed by five of Hollywood's best voice artists, and is produced by Roger Rittner Productions of Los Angeles. In this riveting story, Lois Steinberg is washed ashore on a South Carolina island during a category four hurricane. She seeks shelter inside an old plantation house that was scheduled to host a video game convention to announce the newest mystery game, Catch Me If You Can. But almost immediately, the cook is found murdered. Then the prize to be awarded at the convention, a CD of the game, goes missing. 
The quest to discover the answers becomes a maze more complicated than any "Catch Me" game could ever be devised, as Lois races to save her life ... and keep hidden her mysterious secret. The new audiobook is available in a deluxe 6-CD set in library case, or as an instant MP3 download at PulpRadio.net. Receive 40% off when you use this code at checkout JQROSE40OFF

 Reviewers say: 
"Love the pacing of the story. Catch Me If You Can has intriguing characters and more and more surprises in each chapter." Geeta M. Kakade. 
 "The emotion in the voices and the sound effects are great." Larry Hammersley. 
 "The sound effects ... absolutely make the story come alive, transporting the reader right in the midst of the story." C. Rogers. 

 About Author Miss Mae: Miss Mae is an award winning best selling author. "Said the Spider to the Fly" has received consistent five-star reviews and has

Author Miss Mae

won the renowned title of Best Book of the Week from The Long and the Short of It Reviews and The Romance Studio. With her writing style compared to Agatha Christie's after the release of her gothic thriller, "See No Evil, My Pretty Lady", she's gone on to pen "It's Elementary, My Dear Winifred" which was featured in the Top Ten Read at Myshelf.com in 2009. 

Connect Online with Miss Mae at her website
Click here for Miss Mae's newsletter and receive a free gift of her science fiction novella Through a Glass Darkly.
Find I.B. Nosey here.


About Producer Roger Rittner: 
Roger Rittner is a producer of audiobooks, audio drama, and audio marketing and training. He created the cult radio adventure "The Adventures of Doc Savage", and "Bulldog Drummond - The Audio Adventure", which won the AVA Platinum Award for Audio and the Hermes Creative Award for audio drama. He created and produced The Variety Arts Radio Theatre live stage show, and co-created and directed "Charlie Sent Me!", the original musical comedy for radio, heard on National Public Radio. About the talent: "Catch Me If You Can” is narrated by and stars Stephen Mendel, whose voice credits include radio and TV commercials, video games, and audiobooks. Robin Riker has starred in TV series for ABC, CBS, FOX, and Showtime, and films including the cult favorite film "Alligator". She is currently a regular on "General Hospital". J.W. Terry is an Emmy-winning TV actor whose voice credits include video games, anime, audiobooks, and cartoons. Toni Attell is an Emmy-nominated film and TV actress, as well as a respected acting coach and motivational speaker. Dave Mallow has been heard in commercials, film, radio plays, audiobooks, and numerous video games and cartoons. 

 ***

Thanks, Miss Mae, for sharing the information about your audiobook and how it came to be. Thanks for offering a 40% discount on the audiobook for our readers! Here's the code again to be used at PulpRadio.net      JQROSE40OFF

Readers, do you listen to audiobooks? How often?

Writers, have you published an audiobook or looked into offering an audiobook?

Please leave a comment below and let us know about your audiobook experience or ask a question so Miss Mae can answer. Thank you.

Audible Book Narrator: Owen McCuen and the Process for Recording Audio Books and Promotional Videos

Vintage Movie Camera
freedigitalphotos.com by 2nix

Hi and welcome to the J.Q. Rose blog.

Do you know that I'm a movie star??? Yes, it's a fact, and I can prove it by introducing you to the man who made it possible, my producer, Owen McCuen. Owen has kindly agreed to visit the J.Q. Rose blog to answer any questions about his work and the process of how he made me a movie star.

Actor and Narrator Owen McCuen

Now, puh-leeze, people, Owen is NOT an author, or anyway, he isn't promoting a book. So be kind to him, okay? He's not used to appearing in this capacity. He's usually on video as an actor, or he is behind the scenes as a narrator for audible books. Here's more about this talented (and may I add, handsome?) guy.

About Owen:
Owen McCuen began his voiceover career in 2004 with coaching from the renowned vocal coach Joanne Joellla. Under her guidance, Owen earned roles in radio and internet commercials for companies like NJ Lottery, Giant Foods, Lacroix Restaurant, Good Neighbor Pharmacy, Tozour Energy Systems, and Tremor Video.

Following Joanne’s advice, Owen expanded his skill set by working on camera as an actor. This led to dual roles as actor/narrator for Rita’s Water Ice, UMDNJ, Learning Ally, Trending Accessibility, and Einstein Creative. Now managed by VS Talent Group in Mt. Holly, NJ, Owen continues his acting and voiceover career with challenging roles in front of the camera as well as behind the microphone.

Owen’s newest role is that of audiobook narrator. “Noble the Moose Was a Bully” is a pre-K tale about bullying; character voices abound. But one of the most nuanced performances to date is the thriller “Itsy Bitsy Spider” by Kimberly Shursen. Steady exposition and lively dialogue give listeners the opportunity to experience Kimberly’s expert storytelling, even when they are unable to focus on the written page. ACX has provided the opportunity for Owen and Kimberly to work as a team to bring “Itsy Bitsy Spider” to life.

It wasn’t long before Owen connected with author Miss Mae on her fantastic family-friendly book, “Ahoy Gum Drop!” The author’s imagination paints a vivid picture of foreign lands and quirky characters. Over a dozen unique voices spring to life in this audiobook adventure featuring the Mishaps from Gum Drop Island. Intrepid internet reporter I.B. Nosey has jumped off the page and into video as Owen, Miss Mae, and Patrick McCuen collaborate on Nosey’s video interviews.

Listen to Owen's amazing voice characterizations in this book trailer for Ahoy Gumdrop! 
(It's okay to giggle outloud.)

I.B. Nosey,
Intrepid Internet Reporter

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Yikes, his bio includes his work with I.B. Nosey, the official unofficial cyberspace reporter who is the only nominee and title-holder of the Pukelitzer Award. 

Welcome, Owen, to the J.Q. Rose blog. I'm delighted you're here and are willing to answer some interview questions.

My pleasure, J.Q. Ask away.

Who or what influenced you to become an actor?

I've been doing voices, impressions, and accents since I could talk, I think. Voice acting and performing have been "my thing" for as long as I can remember, mostly influenced by Mel Blanc and The Muppets' Jim Henson, Frank Oz, et al. Kermit the Frog is pretty much my hero.

 I finally got interested enough to investigate a career in voice acting back in 2004. Joanne Joella is a voice coach and performer in the Philadelphia area. I began training with her in 2004 and she gave me my first opportunities in voiceover. Her ability and integrity as a coach were everything to me. Voice Acting is a competitive business, so Joanne encouraged me to try acting on camera as well. Acting gave me practice being expressive and taking direction, and has informed my voice acting greatly. My career would not be what it is today without Joanne.

What is your experience in this field? 

I had some voiceover jobs in 2004/2005 and began acting on camera in 2010. My experience coaching kids at The Little Gym, though, really gave me some OJT with crazy voices and getting in and out of character at a moment's notice. Acting in independent films and commercials have allowed me to meet some great people who needed narration for their projects. My agent VS Talent Group has supported me immensely. I've also narrated two audiobooks for audible.com ("Itsy Bitsy Spider" by Kimberly Shursen and "Ahoy Gum Drop!" by Miss Mae).

Where do you perform?

I live in Southwestern New Jersey, so I mostly work in the Philadelphia area, with a lot of my narration done from home.

What is your best asset?

I am a very expressive person. I can be over the top or subtle, depending on the role.

What are you most proud of in your career?

That's hard to say because I'm proud of my work, especially when a creative person calls me back to do another project. On camera, I'd have to say that the independent short film "Like There's No Tomorrow" by Time to Back Out Productions is a highlight because I am the only actor on the screen for the entire 25 minutes. The film led me to connect with the horror movie podcast "The Last Knock" on which I was interviewed; That has led to some great friendships and even a role in the short film "Case # 5930".  In voice acting, the narration of audiobooks has given me the professional weight I needed to take my career to the next level.

What are your goals for your career?

I am interested in being a working actor, both on camera and behind the microphone. With audiobooks, audio drama, commercials, and independent film experience, I believe I can achieve that goal. I want to earn interesting and challenging roles in projects large and small; to make people laugh, cry, think, or feel something and make a decent living doing it!

 What is the process for recording an author’s audio book? 

ACX.com is the technical wing of audible.com. Narrators, authors, and studios can create profiles on that website so that they can find the right match for their projects and talents. As a narrator, I upload samples of my narration and voiceover demos, and then peruse the available titles that are accepting auditions. If the rights holder (that's usually the author) likes my audition, we agree to terms and begin production. The terms are usually a named price per finished hour or a royalty share agreement. I'm open to either arrangement!

Please tell us about the intrepid internet reporter, I.B. Nosey, and your videos for promoting authors and their books with this character. 

Ah, from the mind of Miss Mae comes I.B. Nosey, the official unofficial reporter! Our videos serve as a promotional tool for folks who want to spread the word about their work. The videos would be useful for any artist, but authors in particular seem to like the videos because they can introduce the world to the work or characters who live inside the books. Nosey has a child-like aura but he's not strictly for children: Family-friendly but managing to appeal mostly to adults who enjoy a good journey into the fantastic! I.B. is nosey indeed and almost never gets the information right. He frequently ends up (not unlike the Three Stooges) attempting to escape trouble by the end of his adventure.

Thank you so much, Owen, for participating in the interview and for offering us a peek inside the world of voice-overs and audible books. 

I'm sure readers want to know more about these promotional videos, so I now present J.Q. Rose starring in the interview by that zany rascal, I.B. Nosey.

# # # #

An I.B. Nosey Mini-Movie with J.Q. Rose

You too can be a "star" and promote your books and projects through

this creative I.B. Nosey video. Nosey interviews the author (or character of your book) in a way that entertains the viewer while introducing the story. You'll have a multimedia promotional tool that Miss Mae and Owen McCuen will help to promote by sharing with their thousands of fans.

It was so easy to be a part of this production. Miss Mae asks three questions and from there she creates a script for Owen. Patrick McCuen designs the colorful drawings, and Owen narrates and directs the production of the movie. 
For more information on promotional mini-movies,  go to Feeling Nosey's site 

Make Your Interviews Heard

For more of I.B. Nosey's videos, subscribe to Feeling Nosey's Youtube Channel.

J.Q. Rose, Movie Star

If you wish to know more about the audio book process and video production, please ask in the comment section below. Owen will be popping in to answer your questions. 

AND let me know what you think of my hairdo, my nails in the mini-movie. Do I look better with the camera shot on my left side or right side? Was the lighting complimentary to my delicate skin??? Thanks!!

Romance and Mystery Authors on Writing: Marva Dasef's Tips on Producing Audio Books, Giveaway

Hello and welcome to our series, Romance and Mystery Authors on Writing. Our "tipster" author today is multi-genre writer Marva Dasef.  She's giving away the winner's choice of one of her audible books. Take a peek at the books she has available at Audible .com 

Please leave a comment to be eligible for the drawing on Sunday at 9 p.m. 

Listen to an audio sample of Missing, Assumed Dead at the end of the page.

Marva, you have entered the audible book market big time. Audible books add another dimension to a book bringing the story alive to the listener. Thanks so much for sharing great tips on the process of producing an audio book.

The winner of the drawing can choose one of Marva's audio books.

Thanks, J.Q. I decided to ignore all of your excellent questions on the writing process, marketing and publishing books so I can talk a little about the process of producing an audio book.

Audio Rights

First, make sure you have the audio rights to your book. This seems a no-brainer, but when’s the last time you read your contract? If you’re an independent author, then you’ve obviously got your audio rights even if you’ve published your book through Kindle, Nook, Kobo, Smashwords, etc. (if an ebook) and anywhere you might have used if you have a print book as well. I use CreateSpace myself and it’s been functioning well for me for several years.

Production Companies

I searched around for audio production companies and saw several vanity press types.  No way.

I’ve been spoiled by Kindle (plus those other guys) and CreateSpace. I never pay a penny upfront. I do a lot of the work, then the distributor takes their cut when a copy sells.

Pondering all this took me to ACX. Ta da! Wouldn’t you know it. Amazon also has an audio book production company. Why am I not surprised?

I checked it out and found it’s kind of like a dating site. You, the author, auditions narrators/producers. Pretty easy to do. Check the rather huge number of producers and start paring it down. What’s your genre? Do you want a male or female narrator? What age sound do you want your narrator? Accent? And other potential criteria.

You should also check what terms the producer will accept. I selected split royalties since that costs me nothing up front (my favorite mode of operation).
Distribution of Audio Books
To split royalties, you’ll also need to give up a bit of autonomy, that is, you need to assign exclusive distribution to ACX. But that’s not so bad a deal. Your audio book will appear on Amazon (click to buy directs you to Audible.com), on Audible, and on iTunes. That covers a huge bunch of the audio market.

After pondering the complexities of distribution contracts, you need to create a parking place for your audio book. ACX makes it easy by linking your audio book to your print or ebook Amazon page. Add a few other pieces of information, then upload (a Word file is fine) a couple of pages of your book for audition material. While you might have found the perfect voice, you really want to know how the narrator sounds doing your material.

Why is this? Well, once you’ve uploaded your book info, the people who want the job  are looking for good matches to what they offer.

My producer did just that. He courted me. Aw, gee, gosh. The dating game is afoot. I’m easy and my producer was good, so we paired up. The rest, as they say, is history. I now have five audio books released, plus one more on the way.

Here are the main points to consider:

• What kind of contract can you live with? Pay a fixed rate per finished hour (that’s the other method) and you get to keep all the royalties OR split the royalties and both you and the producer take the risk and share the rewards.
• Think hard about who your narrator is. I know you’ve got a voice in your mind when you write, even when writing in 3^rd person, you’ll most likely have it close 3^rd and want a voice to match your main character.

Now, read the rest of the articles on J.Q.’s featured posts on book marketing. That’s a topic I know nothing about.

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WOULD YOU LIKE TO HAVE A FREE AUDIO BOOK? Comment here to win your choice of any of Marva's audio books. Do you listen to audio books? Have you produced an audio book? Find all of her books at Audible .com

Find out more about Marva on the Marva Dasef blog and Marva's website.

Enjoy listening to a sample of Marva's romance/mystery e-book, Missing, Assumed Dead.