Heard Any Good Books, Lately?
Readers and Friends,
In just nine days, the official audiobook edition of Stormsend - Saga of the Freewilds, will be available for purchase on Amazon, iTunes, and Audible.com!
What an incredible experience this has been for me. I can barely believe that this moment has finally come to pass!
The audiobook project was based upon feedback from my sister, Debora, who has been one of my biggest and most consistent cheerleaders throughout my brief writing career. I vividly recall walking in from a long day at work, sitting down and starting to work on one of my earlier drafts. My sister came in, saying that she was talking with my mom about my book earlier in the day and she thought it would be a good idea to make the story available as an audiobook.
The reason she was so invested in this was informed by our experiences with our grandmother. She had macular degeneration, which made it impossible for her to read in spite of her love of books. Audiobooks were a Godsend for our grandmother, and she would have been proud of me, I think, for having written a book and published it in such an accessible format.
Knowing that it was something I wanted to do, I then had to figure out how to go about producing a professional audiobook version of my novels. I was invited late last year to be interviewed on a local radio station, WALL-FM. It was right after I published Freewilds: The Cult & the Constable, which was the previous, since unpublished iteration of the story told in Stormsend and its next two sequels, Vagabond and Bastion.
The show's host was incredibly gracious and complimentary. She thought that this story would translate beautifully to an audiobook format, and she had some recommendations for me. These recommendations led me to ACX. As described on the ACX webpage:
ACX is a marketplace where authors, literary agents, publishers, and other Rights Holders can connect with narrators, engineers, recording studios, and other Producers capable of producing a finished audiobook.
Taking the leap, I set up a profile and began the process of seeking auditions for a professional vocal artist to narrate Stormsend. The process was seamless and simple; I found very few situations that required me to ask questions without immediately available, easy to find answers. Soon, I had auditions from twenty men and women. I narrowed the field to six tremendously talented candidates, then sought the advise of my wife, my family, and a few close friends who were familiar with my writing and the stories I am telling. I became infatuated with the auditions sent by two particular narrators, one a man named Peter Wicks, the other a woman named Frankie Porter.
In the end, after reaching out to both of these highly talented, gifted, and professional vocal artists, I decided to hire them both. Peter Wicks is the narrator and handles most of the dialog from male characters, whereas Frankie Porter took on the roles of all of the children and female characters, as well as a villainous little monster known as the Ymp.
They nailed it. Both of them.
Official Retail Sample of the Audiobook
I am so excited to be able to share this audiobook with you all!
Regards, Michael Paul Scott - Author MPSAuthor@freewilds.net TheFreewilds on Facebook
Official Book Trailer for STORMSEND
This is part of a series of newsletters that I will be providing both as an e-mail to readers who subscribe and as posts to the blog on my website: freewilds.net
Have you had a chance to read STORMSEND - Saga of the Freewilds, Book One, yet? If not, please consider picking up a copy for yourself! It is available now on Amazon.com in Paperback, Hardcover, and Kindle eBook formats!
VAGABOND is the continuation of the adventures of disgraced former Detective Constable Lukarde Alfans as he makes his way south to the beleaguered coastal city of Westport in the forbidden region of the world known as the Freewilds. It is available to Preorder NOW in Kindle eBook format, with a scheduled official release date of June 30, 2022!
If you are interested in a free Special Preview Edition of VAGABOND, you are in luck! You can download it now in PDF, ePub, & MOBI formats. This exclusive free offer includes the Prologue, as well as Chapters One and Two.
...and if you like what you've read and decide you'd like to read the rest, and wouldn't mind giving me an honest (and fingers crossed, positive) review between now and the official launch date of June 30th, 2022, you can sign up to be an Advanced Review Copy reader and get the whole book for free, just for your promise to provide me an honest review before the deadline!
The Special Preview Edition of VAGABOND is also available through the following giveaway events:
FANTASY & SCI-FI BOOK FAIR: a Collection. Get these books fast! This promotion ends June 15th!
THE POWER OF A WOMAN: a Collection. Get these books fast! This promotion ends June 19th!
Recommended Reading
Bruno Johnson, Cop-Turned-Con, Saves "Disposable" Kids in this Fast-Moving Thriller Perfect for fans of Michael Connelly, Jeff Carson, and Isabella Moldonado
THE DISPOSABLES is the first book in the bestselling Bruno Johnson thriller series. Bruno Johnson, a tough street cop, member of the elite violent crime taskforce, feared by the bad guys, admired by the good, finds his life derailed when a personal tragedy forces him to break the law. Now he's an ex-con and his life on parole is not going well. He is hassled by the police at every opportunity and to make matters even more difficult, his former partner, Robby Wicks, now a high-ranking detective, bullies him into helping solve a high-profile crime - unofficially, of course. Meantime, Bruno's girlfriend, Marie, brings out the good, the real Bruno, and even though they veer totally outside the law, he and Marie dedicate themselves to saving abused children, creating a type of underground railroad for neglected kids at risk -- disposable kids. What they must do is perilous as they step far outside the law, battling a warped justice system and Bruno's former partner, with his own evil agenda.
"Nonstop action keeps the pages turning" — Library Journal
Their lives depend on her abilities as a trained assassin.
Her life depends on them being the monsters she's always assumed they are.
Former assassin Ilsa Deverell, code-name Midnight, must work to bring together two warring groups--the monsters she used to hunt, and the organization she used to belong to. If she can't, everyone she loves will die. Bourne meets Supernatural in this addictive urban fantasy adventure, perfect for fans of Ilona Anderson, Faith Hunter, Jennifer Estep, K.F. Breene, Shannon Mayer, and Michael Anderle.
Saving the princess was only the start of events that would change his life forever...
Kaine was down on his luck.
The former merchant struggled with losing his job and now must make ends meet. Too bad he doesn’t know how. Frustrated, he sets off into the nearby forest to gather mushrooms. The woman’s screams were the last thing he expected. Kaine must act quickly to rescue the young woman before a monster that should not exist kills her.
His life only gets crazier from there. Kaine returns with Lydia, the daughter of the king, to her father’s castle where he unexpectedly finds himself in the king’s good graces. Confused and leery, Kaine reluctantly agrees to remain and help with Lydia’s younger siblings. Life could not have thrown him more.
Kaine is plunged into a world of magical intrigue, unrest, and political maneuvering. Each new event leaves him feeling out of place and, worse, dangerously exposed to a growing threat. The Darian Kingdom stands at the crossroads. Lydia’s upcoming wedding to the prince of the Throatian Kingdom will soon become the defining moment in Kaine’s life.
With the threat of war looming on the horizon, it is going to take every ounce of guile, cunning, and willpower for Kaine to survive, and, if he is fortunate, prevent the fast approaching storm from burning his world to the ground.
Wedding of the Torn Rose is a fast-paced fantasy adventure with mystery, action, and magic.
Journey with Kaine as he attempts to prevent a war and save a kingdom.
Michael Paul Scott - Author