Christine M. Butler's Blog, page 2

Podcast & Audiobooks by Christine Michelle

The Author's Voice Podcast, which consisted of Christine Michelle producing audio narration of her books, is no longer available. It is scheduled for deletion with Spotify for Podcasters (the company who hosted it), as the terms of service for continued use were no longer agreeable.

I am currently looking into a way to host the podcasts via this website only. If that isn't possible, then the books that were in-progress and scheduled for the audio podcast will move forward as audiobooks for purchase and via Kobo Plus subscription.

COMING AUDIOBOOK CHANGES

Audiobook news: As per the recent emails sent out by Findaway Voices/Spotify, there terms of service for use (at this point in time) have become too demanding for our brands. The TOS would give Spotify blanket use to reproduce in any capacity they see fit, generate future content based on our originals, use content for AI training, and translations not authorized by the author, and a whole slew of other potential uses that the authors/publishers are not compensated for.

We were given until March 15th to agree to the new terms of service, which will not be done by Christine Michelle or Anne Storm as they are currently written.

The contract (TOS) currently proposed takes far too much - basically all of our rights - away for little to no compensation. It also requires that we are okay with using our materials to train generative-AI, and I am most assuredly NOT OKAY with that.I do not support generative-AI use, nor do I willingly allow my materials to be used for training purposes of generative-AI. Where my audiobooks will be available in future:

Via subscription with Kobo Plus Purchase direct from the author on the moonlitdreams website . For purchase on Kobo, Audible/Amazon, and iBooks

I am currently looking into other audiobook aggregators, to see if I can find another company, with better terms, where I can upload to the other sales channels (like Everand, Chirp, Barnes & Noble, Hoopla, etc.), so audio-readers won't lose those options after I leave Findaway Voices (AKA: Spotify). I will keep everyone up to date, and hope for an easy transition.Removing my books from Findaway Voices will remove them from the Spotify platform completely, as that is the only way to maintain audiobooks via the platform. Considering the disregard the platform has for copyright holders (based on the language written into their TOS), I do not plan to do business with them in the future.

I AM A ,HUMAN, CREATOR!

My books (Christine Michelle, Anne Storm, and Christine M. Butler) remain written 100% by me (unless another human author has also been credited - and still - 100% human writing) - ZERO generative-AI. My covers will also remain AI-"art" free to the best of my ability.As much of the stock image world has been infiltrated with generative-AI (stolen) art/photography manipulations, I am moving toward producing and obtaining cover images solely from photographers and models known to me to be real individuals and copyright holders of those images or those images that are produced by me directly. This move makes books more expensive to produce, but that cost will not be passed on to the readers. My pricing remains the same.

Christine Michelle & Anne Storm BOOK UPDATES

Everyone has been waiting to hear when the title they're waiting for will be released.

This is my book update for January 2024. So this is a little about book updates for Christine Michelle and Anne Storm.

First, before we get started on what's headed your way and when, I want to address why last year was so slow with releases. I had Covid (long covid) several times in 2023 (three) and the lingering effects combined with my other health issues made it very difficult for me to even focus to sit down and write a sentence. When I did manage to write, it was coming out as word salad and led to complete frustration. My sentences would come out backward, I was using the wrong words because there was some messed up connection between what I know, what I meant to say, and what ended up typed in manuscripts.

On top of that, I had a major incompatibility issue with hardware/software that was supposed to be compatible and ended up chewing up my manuscripts and spitting them out in even worse condition than my poor, battered brain managed to do on its own.

So, I had no choice but to take some time to heal and let go of all of the frustrations that were taking a toll on my being able to heal and get my brain, focus, and motivation going again.

THEN, I found out that the Pay-Per-Chapter Apps were stealing my book series (Savage Vipers MC). And that has brought about a whole new problem with releasing one of the most anticipated books... Baby Me (the 4th in the Savage Vipers MC Series by Anne Storm).

If you see ads for my books, especially Wait for Me and Devastate me (character names: Star and Jared (Bagger) and Nova and Breakneck or Kim and Tripp from Surprise Me), please make a comment that the books are stolen and report the ads on social media. Report the apps in your app store that are running the ads as well.

I am not sure when I'll release Baby Me because of this thievery. In a not-so-shocking turn of events, the pay-per-chapter apps that have stolen my work actually contacted me to try to pay me an advance on the next book in the series! Like I ever gave them permission or sold my work to them to begin with... But I guess they grew desperate since I refused to release the book.

At this stage, I have to get lawyers involved, to make sure the books are taken down and the apps along with them if I can manage it. Unfortunately, those apps are all owned by the same entity and they keep spreading like a virus. Every time one is taken down another 5 go up, and readers keep supporting them. I am not the only author with stolen books on those apps. A great deal of the content on those sites has been stolen.

ANYWAY, now that the explanations on the holdups are out of the way, here is what's coming:From Christine Michelle:

Winter Wolves (a paranormal romance/suspense with shifters - wolves, obviously)

When the Last Petal Falls (Robeson Family Novel #2 - marriage of convenience/friends to lovers)

Bad at Love (angsty, unrequited, small town romance)

From Anne Storm:

Nothing Special (an angsty, marriage in trouble, billionaire, cheating & forgiveness romance - it is a standalone)

Baby Me (depending on the legal stuff with the other stolen books in the series).

The Homewrecker's Fate (Book 1 in The Cheating Hearts Series)

RELEASE DATES (FOR SOME BOOKS) WILL BE ADDED SOON!

Massive EBook Sale - Christine Michelle and Anne Storm

*Special Note: Anyone who received a copy of A Year and a Day prior to Nov. 29, 2023 4:35pm (EST), you were resent a download link, as you were unfortunately given the wrong file. The file sent by mistake was Everlasting.

Holidays are tough enough! Spoil yourself while saving some money! Take advantage of Christine Michelle and Anne Storm's massive ebook sale where all titles are at 25-100% discounts! No coupons necessary! Sale prices are automatically applied!

Christine Michelle and Anne Storm's ebook sale ends on Dec. 28, 2023! Grab your books while they're free or cheap!

Darlene Tallman's Journey

If you've never heard of Darlene Tallman, then you should click on her name (it's linked to her website) and go check out her books!

This lovely lady is always the first to stand up and cheer for other authors. She's there to be a shoulder when they need, a helping hand, or to lend an encouraging word. She is, simply put, a beautiful soul.

Right now, she is going through an incredibly difficult time after a problematic surgery that almost took her bright light from this world. She was already facing a different type of recovery than what was expected after something went wrong with her original surgery. Afterward, several setbacks led to injuries and another surgery. It has been a cascading series of events that has put her on a slower track for recovery.

In our business - the business of writing books - the longer we're unable to focus, put our minds to writing, and push out books to the world, we run the risk of dwindling income. The longer it takes the body to heal, the more frustrating the mind can become and that is detrimental to creativity.

Considering all the healing and worrying Darlene has to do, I hope that together we can extend a little bit of grace her way by taking one burden from her shoulders, so she can focus on healing and not having to dive back into work before her body is ready.

This is the QR code for Darlene's Tallman's PayPal.

It would be wonderful if everyone could donate a little something to help her out while she heals. She brings so much positivity to the book community, and to her readers, that it's the least we can do to give a little something back to her.Darlene's Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/darlenetallmanauthor/

Thank you!xo,

Christine Michelle

Book Updates for Christine Michelle and Anne Storm (10-10-2023)

Updates on books written by Christine Michelle and Anne Storm.

COMING THIS MONTH:

BABY ME (Savage Vipers MC - book 4) by Anne Storm

Previous books that were delayed due to loss of manuscripts during computer crash:

Evermore (Aces High MC - Cedar Falls book 4) Devoted (Valhalla Rising book 2) The Infinite Everything Series Books (3-5) Legs and Tash (S.H.E. MC books 4 &5) Letters to Liam (Letters to... #2) *see note at bottom Inferno and Cult (Death Viewers Series books 2 & 3) *see note at bottom

The books listed above are still coming, but are taking longer than originally anticipated because the original manuscripts (whether full or partial) were lost in a computer crash and unrecoverable. As soon as I am able, they will all be re-written and published. No ETA on any of them as of yet.

BOOKS CURRENTLY IN THE EDITING STAGE:

Bad at Love (Bad at Love book 1) by Christine Michelle (being re-edited after a mishap messed up the manuscript).) Baby Me (Savage Vipers MC - book 4) - Anne Storm (being re-edited after a mishap messed up the manuscript).

CURRENT WORKS IN PROGRESS (still writing stage, but with minimum of 50,000 words written):

The Winter Wolf (paranormal shifter romance - standalone for now - might turn into a series of standalone books in that world with new main characters for each) - Christine Michelle When the Last Petal Falls (Robeson Family Novel #2) - Christine Michelle Echoes of Everything (Aces High MC - Tallahassee #2) - Christine Michelle The Homewrecker's Fate (Cheating Hearts Series #1) - Anne Storm Devoted (Valhalla Rising #2) Christine Michelle Patch Me (Savage Vipers MC #5) - Anne Storm

CURRENT WORKS IN PROGRESS WITH 20,000-49,000 words written:

Into the Grasslands (Mirage Island Series #1 - PNR/shifters) - Christine Michelle The Return Home (FTO #5 - although may get reordered to an earlier release) - Christine Michelle Night Stalker (Castle Curiosities #1 - Paranormal Mystery/Suspense/Urban Fantasy/PNR Series) - Christine Michelle The Desperate Wife (Cheating Hearts Series #2) - Anne Storm The Morning After (FTO #2) - Christine Michelle A Different Husband (Robeson Family Novel #3) - Christine Michelle If We Die Tonight (Contemporary Romance Standalone) Christine Michelle The Infinite Truth (TIE #3) - Christine Michelle Vindicated (Valhalla Rising #3) - Christine Michelle Cherries and Cream (Aces High MC - Dakotas #4) - Christine Michelle Dark Divinity (Earthbound Souls MC #1) - Christine Michelle The Regrettable Mistake (Cheating Hearts Series #3) - Anne Storm Court's Justice (Aces High MC - Tallahassee #3) - Christine Michelle Spike's Break (Aces High MC - Sierra High MC #1) - Christine Michelle Soulless Bastard (Aces High MC - Sierra High MC #3) - Christine Michelle (this is Walker's story from Redemption Weather)

CURRENT WORKS IN PROGRESS WITH 5,000-19,000 words written:

The Faithless Husband (Cheating Hearts Series #5) - Anne Storm The Royal Affair (Cheating Hearts Series #4) - Anne Storm Waging War (Paranormal Suspense/Mystery/Urban Fantasy/PNR) - Christine Michelle The Wrong Affair - (standalone) Anne Storm An Innocent Man (standalone) Christine Michelle Diamond Girl (Renegade Rosy's #1) - Christine Michelle (Aces High MC - Dakotas dancer's spinoff) Painted Hearts (Permanent Marks #1) Christine Michelle (this is the tattoo spinoff series from Aces High MC - Charleston. Inked Kisses (Permanent Marks #2) - Christine Michelle Bad Beat (Aces High MC - Sierra High #2) - Christine Michelle Tricky Ride (Aces High MC - Tallahassee #4) Christine Michelle Cage's Fury (Aces High MC - Tallahassee #5) Christine Michelle

There are plenty of other books still in the works not listed here. Some fall well within the word counts posted, but I'm not ready to release info about them yet (sometimes because they have more completed in them than the book previous to them in the lineup - and I don't want people to think they're going to be moved up as a result).

PERMANENTLY PAUSED PROJECTS: (OTHER BOOKS THAT HAVE BEEN SCRAPPED AND MOST LIKELY WON'T HAPPEN NOW!)

MiMi (S.H.E. MC novella) - Christine Michelle. I have tried to write her story numerous times and never liked what came out. As a result, I have scrapped her story. If, at a later date, I am inspired - it may be added. As it stands, Legs and Tash will be the final books in the S.H.E. MC Series to round out the 5-book series. Inferno and Cult (Death Viewers Series) Christine M. Butler - Unfortunately, those books were a casualty of an earlier computer death, and due to low sales on the first book (it is one of my worst-selling books of all time), I will most likely not finish this series as a result. Things might change, but I wouldn't count on it for now. Trust me, no one is more disappointed in this decision than ME because Breathless is one of my favorites. Letters to Liam (Letters to... #2) Christine Michelle. This is the follow up to Letters to Lily. Lily will remain a standalone, as this original manuscript was lost and is unrecoverable and I don't have time to recreate it at the moment. Again, as with the others if time and inspiration happen - then maybe I'll bring it back around, but for now, I'm going to call this a permanently paused project.

Book Update & Signing Info 9-30-23

Hi everyone!

I wanted to update y'all on what's been happening.

Baby Me (Savage Vipers MC book 4) is still coming. Hopefully in the next week or so.

I had a mishap while working on final edits from my iPad that messed up huge chunks of the manuscript.

There is a lesson in there about not using aftermarket products. I spilled coffee on my original Magic Keyboard from Apple and replaced it with a generic one - because a backlit keyboard and hard shell swivel case seemed fancy. It is fancy, until I'm working and it inadvertently moves me all around a manuscript as I work (without me realizing) - causing some things to be deleted and other portions to be moved to the wrong spots.

So, I have been piecing everything back together like a puzzle. And it's frustrating to have realized it at the last minute before formatting and hitting publish on the 19th, but I was distracted with company as I brought my my mom's brother in from out of town to surprise her (they hadn't seen one another in many years). It was bad timing, but unavoidable due to scheduling.

I have almost finished getting it all back together and will have someone else take a look a too, which adds to the time it will take to finally hit publish, but I promise, we'll work as quickly as we can without losing efficiency too.

I am also gearing up for my first book signing since early 2020, and have been allocating time to prep for that as well, so that it's not getting thrown together at the last minute and causing me anxiety.

For anyone in or around the Atlanta, GA area (or close enough to travel in for the weekend), you should stop into the GA Indie Author (Sweet as a Peach) Event on October 14th and say hello! Click on the link to grab your tickets!

I'll be giving away goodie bags to the first 20-30 people who stop by my table and a few other things throughout the day! Look for my new logo!

Also, I want to apologize to everyone whose messages are going unanswered, however I have hundreds of notifications for messages between my social media and website (some repeated from the same people). I can't take the time to answer everyone individually because then I would be taking away time from getting this mess sorted out. It's too much! So, if you see this post - please share it and get the word out!

Thanks!

Christine / Anne

Baby Me by Anne Storm Update

Baby Me is running a little late. It should publish live everywhere within a few days.

Apologies, as I didn't get to finish getting it ready in time for it to push through today.

I will post links as soon as I get it to go live!

XO,

Anne Storm / Christine Michelle

Fall 2023 New Release: Baby Me by Anne Storm

Celebrate fall with Baby Me, a brand new release, by Anne Storm!

Baby Me by Anne Storm will be available on September 21, 2023!

Baby Me (Savage Vipers MC Book 4) by Anne Storm

Davina

I walked away from the club the minute those two pink lines showed up on the test.

There were only a few good options for a baby daddy among the club’s men, and the odds weren’t in my favor that my daughter’s father was one of them.

So, I never told them.

Until I had to.

Her life was on the line and my secret might just destroy the happy little life I’d managed to find. Especially, when it turned out the baby’s father was the President of the Savage Vipers MC.

Tripp

I married my kids’ mom after a one-night stand led to her getting knocked up with my son. Despite leaving my high school sweetheart behind for her, we had a good life until she was killed. Eight months ago, I reconnected with my high school sweetheart and when I finally got around to bringing her around my kids, history repeated itself.

Our former club girl had a baby. She was sick and needed help. That little girl also turned out to be my daughter. Her mother wasn’t someone I really saw before, but she quickly became the one woman I never saw coming either. I just knew I couldn’t let go.

Christine Michelle Audiobook News:

Christine Michelle Audiobooks moving to wide release, preorders, and podcasts where you can listen for free!The Other Princess (Aces High MC - Charleston Book 1)Written by: Christine MichelleNarrated by: Sarah Puckett and DC ColeCurrently Available at Amazon, Audible, and iBooks.

Preorder available via Kobo

$9 for the audiobook.

Ebook, Print, and Audiobook links can be found here: https://books2read.com/TOP

Links will be updated as more become available!This audiobook will release wide (to Kobo and 40+ different platforms including libraries via Hoopla and Overdrive and subscriptions services like Scribd and Kobo Plus)! on May 26, 2023.

A Love so Hard (Aces High MC - Charleston Book 2)Written by: Christine MichelleNarrated by: Sarah Puckett and Michael Norman JohnsonCurrently Available at Amazon, Audible, and iBooks.

Preorder available via Kobo coming soon.

Ebook, Print, and Audiobook links can be found here: https://books2read.com/ALoveSoHard

Links will be updated as more become available!This audiobook will release wide (to Kobo and 40+ different platforms including libraries via Hoopla and Overdrive and subscriptions services like Scribd and Kobo Plus)! on May 26, 2023.

The Princess and the Prospect (Aces High MC - Charleston Book 3)Written by: Christine MichelleNarrated by: Sarah Puckett and Tim PaigeCurrently Available at Amazon, Audible, and iBooks.

Preorder available via Kobo coming soon.

Ebook, Print, and Audiobook links can be found here: https://books2read.com/PandPAHMC

Links will be updated as more become available!This Christine Michelle audiobook will release wide (to Kobo and 40+ different platforms including libraries via Hoopla and Overdrive and subscriptions services like Scribd and Kobo Plus)! on May 26, 2023.

Dancing with Danger (Aces High MC - Dakotas Book 1)Written by: Christine MichelleNarrated by: Christine MichellePreorder on Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/audiobook/dancing-with-danger-8 Ebook, Print, and Audiobook links can be found here: books2read.com/DWDAHMC

Links will be updated as more become available!This audiobook will release wide (to Kobo and 40+ different platforms including libraries via Hoopla and Overdrive and subscriptions services like Scribd and Kobo Plus)! on July 4, 2023.

If you don't want to wait for Dancing with Danger, you can follow along as the author reads a new chapter per week on The Author's Voice Podcast.

Christine Michelle is currently reading Dancing with Danger (Aces High MC - Dakotas Book 1). The first five chapters are already available (as of March 10, 2023). Two new chapters release per week (Tuesdays and Wednesdays)!

https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/theauthorsvoice

You can also find it directly on Spotify by clicking here!

Or you can follow along right here on the Moonlit Dreams Publications' website! Click the link or go to podcast via the site menu!

Readers recently voted, and the next book to be narrated by the author on The Author's Voice podcast (after Dancing with Danger finishes) will be Redemption Weather (Aces High MC - Cedar Falls Book 1)

Authors Reading Books

Join us on The Author's Voice Podcast!

Christine Michelle is reading Dancing with Danger (Aces High MC - Dakotas Book 1). The first chapter is already available with two more to come this week! Christine will release two chapters per week (Tuesdays and Wednesdays)with an occasional bonus podcast popping up that contains outtakes from failed narration attempts and commentary on the book or the writing process (Thursdays).

https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/theauthorsvoice

You can also find it directly on Spotify by clicking here!