Author: Olivia Boothe
Narrator: Tim Paige, Kelsey Navarro
Length: 10 hours 51 minutes
Series: Chronicles of a Dancing Heart, Book 2
Publisher: Olivia Boothe
Released: Nov. 13, 2020
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Narrator: Tim Paige, Kelsey Navarro
Length: 10 hours 51 minutes
Series: Chronicles of a Dancing Heart, Book 2
Publisher: Olivia Boothe
Released: Nov. 13, 2020
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Rating: 4.5 Stars
I received this audiobook as part of my participation in a blog tour with Audiobookworm Promotions. The tour is being sponsored by Olivia Boothe. The gifting of this audiobook did not affect my opinion of it.
I wanted one thing: to never fall in love again. But the universe had other plans. One look into Tom Wright's olive-green eyes, and I free-fell crazy in love with the one man destined to break my heart. I know, because I've yet to learn my lesson. The past never dies, and mine is ready to rear its ugly head. Question is, will I be strong enough to survive the fallout? She wasn't supposed to happen. I'd vowed to never let anyone in, but with one curve of her lips, Sara Hart bulldozed through my heart. I'm happier than I've ever been, yet scared as hell of how much I love her. Despite my best intentions, I haven't been 100 percent honest. My biggest torment still lurks within, threatening to unwind the strings holding us together. And if I lose her now, it might as well be the end of me.
This is one of those cases where you will need to decide if you want to read or listen to the book. I wasn’t too far into it when I decided that this is one that I want both. If I want to read then I can pick up the book and get to know the characters again. Other times when I have things to do but want something to make the work more enjoyable, I just need something to take my mind off the task at hand.
The author does a great job in grabbing my attention with all the emotions she’s created between our two main characters. I would have been happy with that but then she adds in some suspense that made it difficult for me to stop listening. It was hard to find just the right spot when I knew that I had to stop. Most times it would be stopping at the end of a chapter but life didn’t always let me do that – and that made it even harder.
When reading a book, it can be hard to feel those emotions the author is trying to convey and that’s one great thing about having a narrator. Mr. Paige and Ms. Navarro made my experience enjoyable. Ms. Navarro is able to change the tone of her voice enough so I know she was giving us a look at Tom through Sara’s eyes. Mr. Paige is great in creating Tom in my mind. It’s a little tough to picture who Tom might be without listening to the timbre only a man can give us. We also get to see Sara through Tom’s eyes. That’s one good thing about a story being told in the first person. If I have to give one negative, it’s hard to keep a straight face when listening to a man imitate a woman’s voice.
Narrators help the reader fall in love with an author’s work. I may not have read the first book in the series but these three people didn’t let me feel as if I was missing anything. However, they all had me looking forward to going back and fixing that. They also make me wish that I had a fireplace. This is one where I would love to sit by a roaring fire in a comfortable chair, with some hot mulled cider, and a nice warm blanket while sitting there listening in on Tom and Sara’s current situation.
REAL LOVE AS IT IS. MESSY. COMPLICATED. AND SINFULLY ADDICTIVE.
From The Wild Rose Press, Olivia Boothe is author of the seductive and emotional contemporary romance duet, Chronicles of a Dancing Heart: Wicked Dance (2017) & Wicked Embrace (2020).
If you enjoy steamy romance novels with deep, layered plots, she’s your gal. Because it’s not just about the first kiss and the happily ever after, it’s about everything in between. Her stories will make you laugh, cry, and possibly blush. Actually, you’ll probably get so hot and bothered, you may need a shower or two. And a cigarette. Definitely a drink of some sort.
In addition to writing contemporary romance, Olivia also writes romantic suspense, paranormal romance, and adult contemporary fantasy. So, if you like stories about sexy spies or assassins, or maybe you’re a huge fan of J.R Ward or of Sarah J. Maas, you’re gonna want to stick around.
Fun Facts: When not locked away in her writing tower at the wee hours of the night, Olivia works a 9-5 job while also wrangling a pack of alphas (a husband, three boys, and a doggo named Hunter). On occasion, she summons her tribe for a night of wine and shenanigans. Dark chocolate is her kryptonite, she hates/loves to ugly cry during movies, and she’s a die-hard Bon Jovi fan. Joisey girl all the way!
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Q&A with Author Olivia Boothe
- Do you believe certain types of writing translate better into audiobook format?
- Yes. I think 1st person works best for audio in my opinion, especially if the narration portions are written in a more conversational tone rather than straight descriptions. Great dialogue also makes for a fun listen.
- Was a possible audiobook recording something you were conscious of while writing?
- No. When I signed my contract, my publisher did not have a contract with ACX. About a year later, my publisher provided its authors the option to add an audiobook to our existing contracts. I opted in, but by that time my book was almost done going through the first round of edits, so I didn’t originally write it with the intent of it going to audio.
- How closely did you work with your narrator before and during the recording process?
- We emailed back and forth many times.
- Were there any real life inspirations behind your writing?
- While the story is fictional, I did draw from some real life experiences. Some were my own, others I borrowed from the life around me. My characters all have traits of people I know.
- How do you manage to avoid burn-out? What do you do to maintain your enthusiasm for writing?
- I take writing breaks. Sometimes, I take too many and it pulls me out of my writing zone more than I intended. My first book took me 5 years to write. I can’t let that be my average rate. TV and social media can be very distracting, so while it’s good to break from the writing screen, unplugging is also necessary if you want to get stuff done.
- Are you an audiobook listener? What about the audiobook format appeals to you?
- Yes, but I only became a listener about a year ago. I tried it because people were raving about the narrator for a book series I loved (The Red Rising Saga) and I figured I’d give it a go. Once I started, I fell in love. A great narrator can bring a book to life almost as vividly as a movie can. Plus, I get to listen as I go, which means I get to “read” more books than I normally would. Helps me catch up on my TBR list.
- If you had the power to time travel, would you use it? If yes, when and where would you go?
- I am a bit of a sci-fi junky so time travel is a very interesting topic for me. The answer is complicated. As I understand it to be, if time travel were possible, it would only be possible to travel through time as long as you were traveling on a different plane/dimension. You couldn’t really time travel within our own dimension. Something to do with the space time continuum. Or maybe I made that up lol. So, yes, I’d time travel, although I don’t know when/where I’d go. I’d spin the wheel and let it take it me wherever whenever.
- If this title were being made into a TV series or movie, who would you cast to play the primary roles?
- Nina Dobrev has always been who I’ve envisioned playing Sara. And while Henry Cavill was the original inspiration for Tom, I’ve recently been watching Imposters on Bravo and Parker Young I think would play Tom perfectly.
- How did you celebrate after finishing this novel?
- I slept. Sounds boring, but writing equates to many late nights, tons of coffee, and massive bags under the eyes.
- What's your favorite:
- Food - My mom’s homemade colombian food
- Song - Book related is Arms Around Me by Tyrone Wells. It inspired Tom’s character. In my non-writer life, I’ll Be There For You by Bon Jovi. What can I say, I’m a Jersey girl.
- Book- Red Rising (the series)
- Television show - Game of Thrones
- Movie - Dirty Dancing
- Band - Bon Jovi (surprise lol)
- Sports team - New Jersey Devils
- City - Paris
- Are any of those things referenced in appearance in your work?
- Tyrone Wells, Bon Jovi, and the New Jersey Devils were all in the original manuscript, but once my publisher acquired the rights, I was asked to take them out due to copyright infringement laws. While I didn’t violate any copyrights in the way I wrote them in, my publisher did not want to take any chances. I had to rename a lot of places and things in my novel. Oh, and Paris makes an appearance in book two.
- What bits of advice would you give to aspiring authors?
- Read a lot, and not just in your own genre. The more we read, the more we learn about our own craft.
- Do you have any tips for authors going through the process of turning their books into audiobooks?
- Finding a narrator is not easy. Many do not do royalty share as the pay off can be small, especially for unproven work. And unless you are with a big publishing house, paying out of pocket for the per finished hour rates can be very expensive. Still, there are new emerging narrators out there trying to get their feet wet who are willing to take a chance on you because you are taking a chance on them. It will take a while to find a great one, but he or she is out there. Don’t settle just because you want that audiobook. Find the perfect match. It will make all the difference.
- What’s next for you?
- I am currently working on the sequel and conclusion to Wicked Dance. I also have an urban fantasy on the back burner, and I can’t wait to bring those characters out to play soon.
Do you believe certain types of writing translate better into audiobook format?
- Yes. I think 1st person works best for audio in my opinion, especially if the narration portions are written in a more conversational tone rather than straight descriptions. Great dialogue also makes for a fun listen.
Was a possible audiobook recording something you were conscious of while writing?
- No. When I signed my contract, my publisher did not have a contract with ACX. About a year later, my publisher provided its authors the option to add an audiobook to our existing contracts. I opted in, but by that time my book was almost done going through the first round of edits, so I didn’t originally write it with the intent of it going to audio.
How closely did you work with your narrator before and during the recording process?
- We emailed back and forth many times.
Were there any real life inspirations behind your writing?
- While the story is fictional, I did draw from some real life experiences. Some were my own, others I borrowed from the life around me. My characters all have traits of people I know.
How do you manage to avoid burn-out? What do you do to maintain your enthusiasm for writing?
- I take writing breaks. Sometimes, I take too many and it pulls me out of my writing zone more than I intended. My first book took me 5 years to write. I can’t let that be my average rate. TV and social media can be very distracting, so while it’s good to break from the writing screen, unplugging is also necessary if you want to get stuff done.
Are you an audiobook listener? What about the audiobook format appeals to you?
- Yes, but I only became a listener about a year ago. I tried it because people were raving about the narrator for a book series I loved (The Red Rising Saga) and I figured I’d give it a go. Once I started, I fell in love. A great narrator can bring a book to life almost as vividly as a movie can. Plus, I get to listen as I go, which means I get to “read” more books than I normally would. Helps me catch up on my TBR list.
If you had the power to time travel, would you use it? If yes, when and where would you go?
- I am a bit of a sci-fi junky so time travel is a very interesting topic for me. The answer is complicated. As I understand it to be, if time travel were possible, it would only be possible to travel through time as long as you were traveling on a different plane/dimension. You couldn’t really time travel within our own dimension. Something to do with the space time continuum. Or maybe I made that up lol. So, yes, I’d time travel, although I don’t know when/where I’d go. I’d spin the wheel and let it take it me wherever whenever.
If this title were being made into a TV series or movie, who would you cast to play the primary roles?
- Nina Dobrev has always been who I’ve envisioned playing Sara. And while Henry Cavill was the original inspiration for Tom, I’ve recently been watching Imposters on Bravo and Parker Young I think would play Tom perfectly.
How did you celebrate after finishing this novel?
- I slept. Sounds boring, but writing equates to many late nights, tons of coffee, and massive bags under the eyes.
What's your favorite:
- Food - My mom’s homemade colombian food
- Song - Book related is Arms Around Me by Tyrone Wells. It inspired Tom’s character. In my non-writer life, I’ll Be There For You by Bon Jovi. What can I say, I’m a Jersey girl.
- Book- Red Rising (the series)
- Television show - Game of Thrones
- Movie - Dirty Dancing
- Band - Bon Jovi (surprise lol)
- Sports team - New Jersey Devils
- City - Paris
Are any of those things referenced in appearance in your work?
- Tyrone Wells, Bon Jovi, and the New Jersey Devils were all in the original manuscript, but once my publisher acquired the rights, I was asked to take them out due to copyright infringement laws. While I didn’t violate any copyrights in the way I wrote them in, my publisher did not want to take any chances. I had to rename a lot of places and things in my novel. Oh, and Paris makes an appearance in book two.
What bits of advice would you give to aspiring authors?
- Read a lot, and not just in your own genre. The more we read, the more we learn about our own craft.
Do you have any tips for authors going through the process of turning their books into audiobooks?
- Finding a narrator is not easy. Many do not do royalty share as the pay off can be small, especially for unproven work. And unless you are with a big publishing house, paying out of pocket for the per finished hour rates can be very expensive. Still, there are new emerging narrators out there trying to get their feet wet who are willing to take a chance on you because you are taking a chance on them. It will take a while to find a great one, but he or she is out there. Don’t settle just because you want that audiobook. Find the perfect match. It will make all the difference.
What’s next for you?
- I am currently working on the sequel and conclusion to Wicked Dance. I also have an urban fantasy on the back burner, and I can’t wait to bring those characters out to play soon.
UPBEAT MILLENNIAL CHARM. Real. Relatable. Connected.
With a youthful, honest voice that millennials connect with, Tim Paige is the go-to guy for brands like The CW, NBC, The UFC, Jimmy Kimmel Live, and more.
Ok, that's the "professional, third person" version. Here's the quick, straight from me version:
I'm a professional voice actor who absolutely loves what I do. Whether it's promos for your new tv series, narrating your next special, intros for one of the 1,000 or so podcasts I've produced, narrating your next audiobook, or whatever -- I LOVE THIS JOB.
It's my mission to do an amazing job, turn it around as quickly as possible, and get you to the next step in your journey without hassles or headaches.
I'd love it if you'd click the option above that works for you so I can see how I can help.
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Hi, I’m Kelsey Navarro, proud SAG-AFTRA Professional Audiobook Narrator. I have a Neutral North American English Voice with a bright, professional sound. My vocal age range spans from teen to millennial to middle-aged with ease. My favorite genres to work in are romance/erotica, non-fiction/self help, and mystery, but I’m happy to work in all genres.
I’ve worked directly with some wonderful authors, as well as publishers like Audible Studios, Dreamscape, Hachette UK, Macmillan, Simon & Schuster, Tantor, and more. I have a friendly, genuine, conversational tone that will bring a little sunshine to your story!
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