L.A. Witt's Blog
September 23, 2020
New Release: The Venetian and the Rum Runner - 1920s Gay Historical Romantic Suspense
I'm really excited to release this one! It all started with a conversation with Michael Ferraiuolo (who will be narrating the audio, of course), and became a 144K novel with gangsters and Prohibition and heists, oh my! I had a lot of fun writing it (not to mention researching it), and I hope my readers will enjoy reading it.
So... please enjoy The Venetian and the Rum Runner!
Amazon (Kindle, Kindle Unlimited, and Paperback)
(Audio coming soon)
Blurb:
New York City, 1924
Once their paths cross, their worlds will never be the same.
Danny Moore and his crew only meant to rob the hotel suites of rich guests. He wasn’t supposed to find himself in gangster Ricky il Sacchi’s room. And il Sacchi wasn’t supposed to wind up dead. Now Danny has the attention of another notorious gangster.
Carmine Battaglia is intrigued by the Irish thieves who would have made off with a huge score if not for il Sacchi’s death. They’re cunning, careful, and exactly what he needs for his rum running operation. But Danny’s already lost two brothers to the violence between New York’s Irish and Sicilian gangs, and he’s not about to sell his soul to Carmine.
With a gangster’s blood on his hands, Danny needs protection, whether he likes it or not. And that’s to say nothing of the generous pay, which promises to pull him and his crew—not to mention their families—out of destitution.
Working together brings Danny and Carmine to a détente, then to something so intense neither can ignore it. Something nearly enough to make them both forget the brutal tensions between their countrymen.
But the death of Ricky il Sacchi hasn’t been forgotten. And someone is determined to make Danny bleed for it.
The Venetian and the Rum Runner is a 144,000-word gay historical romantic suspense novel set during Prohibition and the Roaring Twenties.
CW: graphic violence, PTSD
Excerpt:
Manhattan
January 2nd, 1924
At quarter to ten the second night after New Year’s, having arrived at the address on the card he’d been given, Danny Moore found himself standing in the falling snow outside a butcher shop.
It was still open despite the late hour. He supposed that wasn’t a surprise, especially as a young couple sauntered in through the front door in attire no one wore to visit the butcher. Clearly, then, this was not unlike the florist shop that acted as a benign and perfectly legal front for the speakeasy Danny frequented. Given that the man he was here to see was a powerful bootlegger, a front seemed more likely than Carmine Battaglia moonlighting in the meat business, particularly the business of staying open late to sell meat to customers in their finest evening wear.
Danny cast a wary glance around the dark and mostly deserted street, then walked inside. The butcher shop itself was nothing remarkable. Sausages and cuts of everything imaginable hung in the windows or were displayed in a glass case beside a large scale and a cash register. On the wall, prices were listed, but Danny didn’t bother to read them. He was not, after all, here to buy meat.
The young couple was gone, having likely been escorted through a secret door into the speakeasy beyond. A middle-aged Italian woman watched him through wire-rimmed spectacles.
Clearing his throat, Danny showed her the card. “I’m here to see—”
“You got an appointment?” The question was terse.
“I do, yes. At ten o’clock. With, um… With Mr. Carpenter.”
She gave a curt nod, turned away, picked up the telephone, and dialed. After a moment, she said, “Mr. Carpenter’s ten o’clock appointment is here.” She hung up and turned to him. “Wait right here.”
Danny waited. Another couple came through the door, the woman waving a long cigarette holder between her fingers as she and her companion laughed at something one of them must have said outside. She was blond, dressed in sparkling silver and green beneath a snow-dusted overcoat, and both her hair and skirt were as short as was fashionable these days. Her companion was in a smart suit and shined shoes. Clearly here to buy meat.
The man murmured something to the woman behind the counter, and the woman again picked up the telephone, this time saying something Danny didn’t hear. A moment later, an unseen door in the back opened, and the butcher stepped out, wiping his hands on his dingy white apron. With a sharp nod, he beckoned for the couple to come with him, and they followed without hesitation.
Outside, a pair of policemen strolled by. One cast a disinterested look through the windows, put his cigarette to his lips, and kept right on walking into the frigid night. They had to know what went on in here. It was hardly a secret what it meant when a regular business had patrons dressed for a night out coming in through the front door at this hour. Either the policemen didn’t care or they didn’t bother because there were dozens of places like this nearby. More likely, they didn’t see anything because a few crisp bills in their pockets said there was nothing to see.
“You here for Mr. Carpenter?” The voice pulled Danny’s attention from the vacant sidewalk where the police had been patrolling, and he turned to see a hulking Italian man in a suit glaring at him from behind the counter.
Danny cleared his throat. “I am, yes.”
A sharp gesture summoned him into the back of the butcher shop. Danny hesitated—whether or not it was a front for a speakeasy, this was a legitimate butcher shop, and he wasn’t sure he liked venturing away from the windows into a place with knives and meat hooks. Not with an Italian wise guy, and especially not after what had happened on New Year’s Eve.
The Italian glared at him. “You coming?”
Well, if he didn’t, then four of his friends would likely land in the workhouse soon. Or worse.
So, swallowing his nerves, Danny followed the man into a larger room in the back. Here, the butcher was methodically cleaving apart some creature’s hindquarters, and he eyed Danny and the Italian with no expression on his face.
At the other side of the room was a door. Danny and the Italian stepped through it, and Danny jumped when it banged shut behind him, sealing them into a narrow, dark stairway that was as cold as the January night outside. They walked silently down the stairs, and Danny tried not to liken this to descending into the pits of hell for a meeting with the Devil himself.
When they reached the bottom, the Italian faced him and held up a canvas bag.
“Put this on,” he ordered.
“Put it…” Danny eyed the bag, then the wise guy. “Why?”
The man’s eyes narrowed. “You want to meet Mr. Carpenter or not?”
Well, no, now that he’d asked, but Danny didn’t have a lot of choice here. And he supposed now that he’d been into the tunnel behind the butcher shop, there was no turning back. He’d already seen too much.
Muttering a few choice words in Irish, Danny pulled the bag over his own head, and he tried not to let his mind linger on what exactly he was smelling. Something sour and decayed. Thinking any deeper than that, he’d probably throw up inside the bag. In fact, maybe that was what—
“This way.” The Italian took his arm, and what could Danny do but follow him?
They walked for what felt like miles. Maybe that was just his nerves, or maybe time seemed to be crawling by because of the horrid stench so close to his face. All he knew was he’d long since lost track of the turns and switchbacks, and that with every set of stairs—even those going up—he was sure he was getting closer to literal hell.
Finally, he was ordered to halt. Something squeaked, and he thought he heard a door open, but he wasn’t told to move, so he stood there stupidly and waited for something to happen.
The Italian’s gruff voice made him jump: “Your ten o’clock is here, boss.”
The response came in a smoother voice that made Danny’s already racing heart beat faster: “Bring him in.”
Danny was shoved unceremoniously forward, and he just managed to keep himself from falling. When he’d righted himself, the bag was yanked off his head.
He blinked a few times—the room was dimly lit by a few bare bulbs strung around where crown molding would have been in a classier place, but it was still bright for a man who’d been in darkness for the last… the last however long he’d been hooded.
A heavy metal door slammed shut behind him, and a lock clanged into place. It sounded like the kind of door they used for bank vaults, and that didn’t settle Danny’s nerves at all. There was a reason he and his crew had never bothered trying to rob banks.
As his eyes adjusted, he shivered and took in his surroundings. Aside from being cold, the room was rough, its floor made of wood but its walls out of ragged concrete. A few pipes went across the ceiling and along one wall, but otherwise it looked like an office—a desk with a couple of chairs and a telephone. Several ledgers and pens. It wasn’t even as big as the modest parlor in Danny’s Broome Street tenement apartment, and the low ceiling and dim light made it feel even more cramped and tight.
Or perhaps that was because of the locked door and the man gazing back at him from behind the broad desk.
He was Italian in the usual expensive suit, and he was plainly a gangster. As easy to recognize as Ricky il Sacchi. The way he carried himself, even while sitting down. The way he looked at Danny like he owned everything in this room includinghim. The pinstriped slate gray suit and the fedora on the desk. And who else but gangsters held meetings in dark basements with men summoned by threats? He couldn’t have been anyone other than a gangster, and Danny suspected this “Mr. Carpenter” was, in fact, Carmine Battaglia.
“What’s your name, kid?”
“It ain’t ‘kid,’” Danny growled, hoping his nerves didn’t betray him.
A dark eyebrow arched.
Danny gulped. “Daniel. My name is Daniel Moore.”
To his surprise the Italian got up and came around the desk. He was slightly shorter than Danny—an inch at most—and he looked Danny right in the eye as he extended a hand. “Carmine Battaglia.”
Unsure what else to do, Danny shook Battaglia’s hand.
So this was him. Carmine Battaglia. The gangster who’d demanded Danny’s presence and threatened to send four of his friends to the workhouse if he didn’t show.
And maybe if Danny hadn’t been so uneasy with this whole situation, he’d have spent a little more time focusing on those full lips and near-black eyes. Or the way the bare electric bulbs cast harsh shadows on sharp, olive-skinned features.
He’s one of them, Danny fiercely reminded himself. Stop staring and find a way out of here.
“Well? You wanted to see me.” Danny spread his arms. “I’m here.”
“Yes, you are.” Battaglia leaned casually against his desk, head tilted his head as he studied Danny intently. “I understand you’re in charge of a group of thieves who broke into some suites at the Plaza Hotel on New Year’s Eve.”
Danny swallowed, not sure how to proceed.
An odd smile formed on Battaglia’s lips. “I’m not the police, Daniel. I’m—”
“You’re a gangster.” The words came out with more venom than perhaps was wise. “Just tell me what you want so you won’t send my friends to the workhouse.”
Battaglia shook his head, chuckling softly. “I’m not interested in sending you or your friends to the workhouse.”
“But you said… If I didn’t come…”
“And you did come.” Battaglia shrugged. “You held up your end of the deal, and now I’ll hold up mine.”
It wasn’t that simple. It couldn’t be. Nothing ever was with gangsters involved.
“So what is it you want?”
“What I want is to put you and your crew to work.”
Danny blinked. “I beg your pardon?”
“I want to put—”
“Yeah, I heard that part.” Danny stared at him in disbelief. “You want us to come work for you. For gangsters. For Sicilian gangsters.”
Battaglia inclined his head. “You would hardly be the first Irishmen on my payroll.”
Setting his jaw, Danny glared at him. “Your kind put two of my brothers in the ground. I’d sooner work at Tammany Hall than with the likes of you.”
Battaglia’s expression hardened just slightly, but his voice stayed calm. “And you don’t think plenty of my kind are in the ground thanks to Irishmen?”
“With any luck, they’re in hell.”
The gangster’s eyebrow rose slowly.
Danny’s heart went wild. This was dangerous. So dangerous. He may as well have spat in the man’s face and cursed his mother.
Perhaps not the wisest thing to do when he was in a locked underground office with a powerful gangster and not the faintest clue how to get back to street level.
But he didn’t take it back.
May 2, 2020
In which learning to paint turns out to be a lot like learning to write.
I won't be selling art at the farmer's market or making my own tutorial videos any time soon, but I'm happy with the results, and I'm optimistic that I'll get better, if nothing else because of sheer stubbornness.
Throughout this little adventure, I've found my thought process very familiar. Specifically, I think a lot of things that I thought during my early days as a writer:
What if I mess this up?
What if I do all this work, and it's trash?
What if everyone hates it?
I've been writing professionally for over a decade, so I've conditioned myself to respond to those doubt gremlins the same way every time:
So the hell what?
Because I have messed up stories. Plenty of them. Even now, almost 200 books into my career, my editors still have their work cut out for them because I can still torpedo a perfectly good story. But I write them anyway because I know that I have editors who will help me course correct, and I know I can course correct. Knowing I have people who can help and that I am capable of fixing problems, I'm willing to take bigger risks and write more intimidating books than I might have when I was first starting out.
Sometimes it's just a matter of making a few tweaks here and there. A character's lack of motivation can sometimes be solved by a handful of throwaway lines sprinkled throughout.
Sometimes it's the literary equivalent of scraping off the paint, priming over the canvas, and starting over from scratch. I have rewritten multiple books almost from the ground up during the editing process. Almost 90% of The Tide of War was scrapped and rewritten after my editor's first round. A Chip in His Shoulder was eviscerated, and barely recognizable from the original once it went through edits. With the Band and Not Safe For Work were both written twice from start to finish before I got it right on the third drafts, and even then they still went through a ton of editing before they were fit for human consumption.
Which is to say, it's 100% okay to mess up your story, because you can always fix it.
One more time for the people in the back:
It's 100% okay to mess up your story, because you can always fix it.
You can either fix it as is, or rewrite it and make it better, but you don't lose the right to that story just because it didn't come out perfectly on the first go around.
Just like right now, when I paint a landscape and then realize it can't be salvaged, all isn't lost. I now know a few things that don't work, and during the second attempt, I can practice and refine the things that did work. The second version won't be identical to the first, but it'll be closer to what I wanted the first to be. If I mess up the second time, then the third version will get me closer. And sometimes, I'll realize some element needs to be dramatically different. Not because I lack the skill level to paint a mountain or because my evergreen trees need work, but because the mountain borked the composition or the trees were better off being deciduous. Trial and error, all the way -- both because the skill level improves with practice, and because some elements work and some don't. Maybe the first painting was better suited to line a bird cage, but the effort wasn't wasted because that version was a step toward the improved final painting.
Books are much the same way.
And sometimes you might finish the story and realize that particular story isn't worth making into something readable. That's okay!I wrote my very first book three times from top to bottom, with each manuscript clocking in around 130,000 words. Which book is it? One that will never see the light of day.
Was that a waste of time and effort? Not at all. Because I learned to write with that book. It was a lot of trial and a whole lot of error, and in the end, I realized that at its core, the story wasn't as good as I wanted it to be. Maybe someday I'll revisit it and write it with the knowledge and skills I have now, but I'm happy to let it be, and I don't think it was a waste because I learned so much from it.
It was like trying and failing to create the same painting a dozen times in a row. Maybe I never got the cool painting I imagined, but I did learn a ton about brush techniques, shading, lighting, perspective, tone, value, mixing paints. That painting never came to fruition, but everything that went into it and the skills I got out of it will benefit every painting that comes after.
All of this is to say that if you're a writer -- or a painter, or a sculptor, or what have you -- don't let the fear of screwing up keep you from taking risks.
Put the words on the screen.
Put the paint on the canvas.
Screw it up. Ruin it. Make a mess.
Create something that you will never put on Amazon or Instagram.
It's that old adage that goes around during NaNoWriMo: Give yourself permission to write crap.
It doesn't mean deliberately produce garbage or don't concern yourself with quality.
It means give yourself permission to do scary things that you may not yet possess the skills to execute.
It means give yourself permission to aim high and -- this is the important part -- fail without being a failure.
If you do fail, scrape off the paint or cross out the words and try again. You'll get there!
And when you give yourself permission to mess up and let go of the fear that you won't get it right the first time, you might surprise yourself sometimes.
Not long ago, I wanted to try one of Bob Ross's techniques for painting the Northern Lights. It looked easy on the tutorial, but I figured it was going to be hard in practice. Before I'd even primed the canvas, I made peace with the fact that this could turn out to be garbage. If I did, well, I'd just prime over the top and try again, and eventually I'd get it right. And I used a small canvas panel so at least I wouldn't be wasting one of the bigger, more expensive canvases.
This is the result:
Is it perfect? No. But considering it was something I'd never tried before, I was pleasantly surprised. After a little more practice, I used a bigger canvas, and now this is hanging on my living room wall:
Turned out the Northern Lights are pretty easy. A few other things have proven to be a lot harder. Painting mountains is apparently going to be like writing car chase scenes for me: haaaaard. Case in point, this little number, where I managed to achieve the basic shape of mountains, only to botch them during an attempt at adding snow. And then after scraping off the excess paint so I could try again, I wiped off the palette knife with a paper towel, only to drop the paper towel wet-paint-side down onto the canvas, and... well:
So this canvas is going to get reprimed, and I'm going to again attempt to paint mountains with snow on them, and sooner or later, they will look like mountains with snow on them. This painting wasn't a waste, it was practice, and practice happens when you stop being afraid of getting it wrong.
With any kind of art: some things are surprisingly easy if you can get past the fear of messing up. Other things are hard, but again, if you get past that fear, you can practice enough to get them right.
So to all the aspiring writers and artists out there, go forth and screw up.
Fear of failure is a much greater obstacle than failure itself, and if you can shake off that fear, then you can make messes that eventually give you the skills to make art, and you can surprise yourself by how easy some things are once you stop second-guessing your abilities.
And if you're looking at other writers and artists, and you're wondering why they never mess up while you keep making mistakes, remember that as some meme or another once pointed out, you shouldn't compare your uncut footage to someone else's final shot. Just because you don't see the mistakes doesn't mean they aren't happening.
This is actually why I love voice actors and musicians who post blooper reels, authors who tweet about their "typo of the day," and artists who show pictures of their mistakes. It's a reminder that no one is effortlessly producing flawless art, and that mistakes and corrections are part of every artists' process.
One of my favorite Instagram accounts is @minkstudiosllc, where equine sculptor Sarah Minkiewicz-Breunig documents her sculptures in progress. She frequently posts pictures where she made a mistake, followed by detailed descriptions and close-up photos of how she fixed it so other sculptors can learn how to spot and repair similar problems.
In the Ferrajunkies Facebook group, Michael Ferraiuolo occasionally posts blooper reels from his audiobooks, which are both hilariously funny and a great reminder that even a seasoned voice actor is going to stumble over a word or phrase now and then.
Sarah's finished sculptures and Michael's finished audiobooks are spectacular. To look at or listen to their work, you'd never guess either of them knew what a mistake was because their work is that good. But they both post evidence to the contrary, which should be a reminder to the aspiring artist to keep that in mind that the people who've been at it longer than you are still making mistakes, even if you don't see them.
Go forth and create.
Make mistakes so you can make art.
Aim high while giving yourself permission to fail without being a failure.
You've got this, yo.
March 25, 2020
Another round of freebies
(books marked with * are also available in audio)
Three Stupid Weddings* https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07G8TXT2F
The Princess & the Porn Starhttps://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XNZ9WYG
Spicy Collectionhttps://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XL1HJ1R
Who’s Your Daddy?https://www.amazon.com/Whos-Your-Daddy-Lauren-Gallagher-ebook/dp/B06XNQ2HMS
A Chip in His Shoulder*https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07RC7QXTW
If The Seas Catch Fire*https://www.amazon.com/If-Seas-Catch-Fire-Witt-ebook/dp/B01920EWNY
One More Try Collectionhttps://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07T31Z9LB
The Closer You Get*https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XKQX9S2
Where There’s Smokehttps://www.amazon.com/dp/B0106FYG2G
With the Bandhttps://www.amazon.com/dp/B010KG8BJU
March 15, 2020
Some more freebies...
By popular demand, I’ve added some more fan-favorite titles to the social distancing freebies:
(books marked with * are also available in audio)
The Husband Gambit * https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07K2ZDZDZ
The Master Will Appear * https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XSQCTS1
Blood From a Stoner * https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07D7F57HF
To My Future Number 1 Fan * https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07DN3BY2R
Tooth & Claw Trilogyhttps://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XKW34GB
The Best Laid Plans * https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XNYQ39Q
All The King’s Horses * https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XNQ1WL3
The Left Hand of Calvus * https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01M5L39ET
March 14, 2020
Free books for a limited time!
(Those marked with * are also available in audio)
Lead Me Not *https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07RC4X4XD
The Tide of Warhttps://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07RC59MMJ
I’ll Show You Minehttps://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06XNV2LBB
Kneel, Mr. President *https://www.amazon.com/Kneel-Mr-President-Lauren-Gallagher-ebook/dp/B06XNXH34L
Light Switch *https://www.amazon.com/Light-Switch-Lauren-Gallagher-ebook/dp/B00I9CIOH2
Behind Closet Doorshttps://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01HH7JSW4
Blood & Bitcoin *https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07PJVBYRM
The Walls of Troy *https://www.amazon.com/Walls-Troy-L-Witt-ebook/dp/B06XNZL6FM
Wireless *https://www.amazon.com/Wireless-L-Witt-ebook/dp/B00WP3IB88
At the Corner of Rock Bottom & Nowhere *https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XBG4SR2
Hiatus *https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XP18HV5
Not Safe For Work * https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XNSN6FN
December 7, 2019
2019 Holiday Sale - 12 free titles, 12 $0.99 titles!
All titles except for Covet Thy Neighbor are exclusive to Amazon and are on Kindle Unlimited. Prices will be in effect through December 11.
Also, for the audiobook listeners, many titles are also available in audio and are Whispersynced!
Free Titles
$0.99 Titles:
And don't miss my latest release, ASSIST, a hockey player menage romance, which is available December 26th, and is $0.99 until December 31st! This is the second book in the Pucks & Rainbows series -- it's a sequel to Rebound, but it can be read as a standalone!
September 18, 2019
Some Updates (Rebound, Dreamspinner titles, etc)
In particular:
The audiobook of ReboundThe Tucker Springs seriesThe Wrench Wars seriesRules of Engagement and RainRebound: If you purchased the audiobook and experienced audio issues, the problem is being addressed and a new edition will be available soon. I don't have an ETA for it yet, but keep an eye on Twitter and my website for updates.
My Dreamspinner titles:
At my request, Dreamspinner has reverted my rights. Some books have been released, and others are coming soon.
Last Mechanic Standing and Wrenches, Regrets, & Reality Checks, my Wrench Wars books, have been re-released.
Rules of Engagement has been extensively revised, including a newly extended ending, and has been re-released. The audiobook will remain as is for the time being. Rain has also been re-released, and is available in print for the first time! (or, well, it will be - as I post this, it's still processing on Amazon, but should be up soon)
My books in the Tucker Springs series have reverted to me, and they're being reformatted, etc. Where Nerves End, Covet Thy Neighbor, and After the Fall will be available soon. It's Complicated will remain with Dreamspinner until November. If you pre-ordered It's Complicated from Amazon, you will still receive your book as scheduled.
These changes only affect my books in the Wrench Wars and Tucker Springs series. The other authors' books will remain unchanged.
March 12, 2019
Narrator Interview + Giveaway!
Before I get to them, I'm giving away six Audible codes - details at the end of the post! And please feel free to comment with questions/comments for the narrators even if you aren't entering the giveaway!
With that out of the way, let the interview begin. Joining me on the blog are Greg Tremblay, Nick J. Russo, and Michael Ferraiuolo (their websites/contact info/bios are after the interview).
Greg Tremblay
Born in one far-flung corner of the US, near Portland (no, not that one, the other Portland. Maine) Greg Tremblay brings a passion for storytelling to every aspect of his life. Trained in stage and vocal performance, Greg is the award-winning narrator of over 200 audiobooks in diverse genres, from narrative nonfiction to erotic romance.
Nick J. Russo
Nick is an award winning narrator with a fan following for his work in fiction, specifically in the romance genre. His performances in two of Amy Lane's books, Beneath the Stain and Christmas Kitsch, made him the recipient of Sinfully M/M Book Review's Narrator of the Year - 2015. When he's not in the booth, Nick enjoys spending time with his wife, Jessica, and kids, (aka their beagle Frank and cat Stella), drumming around town, exploring rural back roads with his wife on their motorcycle, or being enthralled in a tabletop role playing game with his friends.Michael Ferraiuolo
Michael Ferraiuolo is a graduate of Berklee College of Music and the owner of Iron Works Studios in New York City. As a voice artist and composer, Michael has appeared both nationally and internationally in film, radio, and over 150 audiobooks.And now.... the interview!
1. First things first… What is your name? What is your quest? What is your favorite color?
Greg: Sir Lancelot of Camelot! (Greg Tremblay and Greg Boudreaux)
I seek the Holy Grail! (I narrate all sort of books, largely romance, scifi, YA, and narrative nonfiction)
Blue! (actually it IS blue) [L.A. I swear I hadn't read that yet when I decided to make Greg's answers blue.]
Nick: Hello! My name is Nick J. Russo and I’m an audiobook narrator, producer, and sound engineer. I primarily narrate romance, but I’ve done almost every genre imaginable at this point. My quest is to tantalize, titillate, and engage my listeners with my performances. And my favorite color is red. NO, BLUE! AHHHHHH!!! But seriously, it’s blue.
Michael: My name is Michael Ferraiuolo and I narrate everything from biographies to romance novels. I can’t say I truly have a favorite color but my home has lots of gray in it…make of that what you will.
2. Are there parts of audiobook production that make you think “wow, I can’t believe I get paid to do this”? What about parts that remind you it really is a job?
Greg: The simple fact that I get to tell stories for a living is absolutely mind blowing to me. I love that I get to go to work each day and read a book to people.
When I get the corrections back from the proofers, and when I am going over taxes… those are times that remind me it’s a job, and I am imperfect.
December 3, 2018
The Great Paperback Giveaway of 2019
As an author, this means encountering the bizarre phenomenon of books being obscenely heavy, especially in large quantities. And since I try to keep a pretty good stock of all of my books in order to have them available for contest giveaways, conference sales, etc., I have... large quantities.
So, in an effort to Jenny Craig my book weight, I'm donating a couple of boxes, but I'm also going to give a bunch away to my readers. This is where you come in.
Here's how it works:
Each reader may receive up to :4 titlesor 2 titles & 1 bundleor the Wilde's bundle.All books will be signed. The giveaway is limited to the titles and quantities listed below, and books are available on a first come first served basis.That being said, I know that time zones, connectivity, and free time are things, and it's entirely possible that by the time someone reads this, their preferred titles will be snatched up. If there is a title you really really really want that is already claimed, shoot me an email. The quantities listed below don't necessarily reflect the total number of copies in my possession, and we may be able to work something out.Some books may come with older covers that are no longer available. If you have a strong preference for a specific cover, please mention this in your comment (alternate covers may not be available). In order to receive books, leave a comment below containing:Your name (or at least a nickname)An email addressYour preferred title(s)(optional) preferred cover if a book has been released with multiple covers (optional) alternate title(s) in case your preferred titles are taken.If you are unable or unwilling to use comments on Blogger, please email me with the information above. First come first served still applies depending on the timestamps on emails or comments. Emails will not receive priority over comments or vice versa.Claimed titles will be marked as quickly as reasonably possible, but they will not be real-time updates. Some books showing available may have been claimed. When the giveaway ends, I will contact you via email for a shipping address. P.O. boxes are fine. All books will be sent in early January via US media mail.Giveaway is not limited to readers in the United States. Oh, and 5 randomly selected winners will receive a bonus book!
So let's get to the fun part!
The Wilde's Series BUNDLE (set of 11 books) 2 of 2 claimed The Cover Me Trilogy COLLECTION (single volume) 3 of 3 claimed The Cover Me Trilogy BUNDLE (set of three books)3 of 3 claimed Tooth & Claw Trilogy BUNDLE (set of three books)2 of 2 claimed Wireless 2 of 6 claimed The Master Will Appear 3 of 3 claimed From Out in the Cold 2 of 2 claimed Before There Were Three: Ethan & Rhett 3 of 5 claimed Ex Equals 5 of 5 claimed Three Stupid Weddings 10 of 10 claimed General Misconduct 3 of 3 claimed If The Seas Catch Fire 4 of 4 claimed The Torches We Carry 7 of 8 claimed At the Corner of Rock Bottom & Nowhere 3 of 3 claimed To My Future Number 1 Fan 3 of 3 claimed Wanting Moore COLLECTION (single volume) 4 of 4 claimedDamaged Goods 1 of 5 claimedLight Switch 0 of 3 claimed Reconstructing Meredith 0 of 3 claimed Between Brothers 0 of 2 claimed Who's Your Daddy? 2 of 2 claimed Again, each reader may receive up to 4 titles or 2 titles & 1 bundle or the Wilde's bundle.
November 25, 2018
Cyber Monday! Free and $0.99 books!
(All titles are available on Kindle Unlimited, and most are available in Audio.)
Season's Readings!
$0.99
Free
Enjoy!
