It’s Time, Again!

Location: West Yellowstone, Montana

WHAT? Another new release? So soon?

Yup, just six weeks on the heels of Lethal Game, I bring you Dancing With Death, the second Aubrey Greigh Mystery. This new mystery/thriller is available for pre-order now. Both ebook and paperback editions are available September 11th!

Plus, for the first time, I’m making one of my novels available in Amazon’s Kindle Unlimited program. That means if you’re a KU subscriber, you can read this new book for free.

Check it out HERE.

In this issue:

1. NEW BOOK: Dancing With Death (and a new mystery series audio trailer)
2. NEW TRAVEL ADVENTURES: Up On the Yellowstone Plateau
3. REMINDER: NEW PODCAST & FACEBOOK GROUP: Relevant Fiction is Available
4. AUDIOBOOK NEWS: Voodoo Vendetta

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1. New Book: “Dancing With Death: Who Will Die? Or Disappear?”

Pre-order now, and get this new mystery/thriller delivered to your devices automatically on September 11th. Its paperback edition will be available then, too.

Early readers are loving this book. Here’s what they‘re saying:

• This is your best yet. Very exciting. I actually gasped when I read that— (spoiler redacted)! – Julia S, 
• You really nailed the suspense, especially by including red herrings and plot twists. I like getting reacquainted with Greigh and McQ, and became fond of the new characters, too. Thought I would like ___ (spoiler redacted), but … big plot twist there. I love Butler, Greigh’s automated apartment security system and confidante, especially that you gave him Sean Connery’s voice. – Dawn S.
• The novel moved at a good pace, was intriguing and engaging. I truly enjoyed it. – Judy R.
• I like the concept, storyline and characters. An excellent read. Dialogue was also excellent as were pace, twists and turns. – Mark M.
• All the double agents, various international agencies, and crime bosses were easy to follow, and added depth to the story. – Steve B, 
• Great job!! Thoroughly enjoyed the book.  I hope this one reaches the “Best Seller” list. – Tom K.
• I have nothing but praise for your writing! – Dave K.
• Blown away by your choice of words and character descriptions as well as their interactions with one another. – Judy H.

By the way, I narrated and produced the following 3-minute audio trailer (short marketing description) of my Aubrey Greigh Mystery series to date, just for you. It includes a description of this new book. I also composed the music for this piece. Here’s hoping you enjoy it:

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2. New Travel Adventures on the Yellowstone Plateau

Hard to believe we’ve been in West Yellowstone, Montana for almost a week, already. At 6,700 feet, this elevation takes some getting used to as I’m prone to hypoxia. I guess I need more oxygen than most.

Kay discovered this charming little 25-site RV park that’s owned and run by a family who also owns and operates this small tourist town’s IMAX theater (our park is right behind the theater). The place is always full.

We’re spending three weeks here, so we can take our time to acclimate, and visit the park at our leisure. Right now, we’re enjoying this charming little town. And yeah, we’ll hit Old Faithful, Grand Prismatic Spring, the Yellowstone Grand Canyon, maybe the Lamar Valley, etc. We have time.

Last week, we attended a local art festival in the town park called the “Wretched Mess Arts Fest.” I really enjoyed the chalk art competition (while Kay played with everyone’s dogs). Check it out:

Who doesn’t love 3D art created in a 2 dimensional medium?

So, we’re hunkered down in the town of West Yellowstone, Montana, near the west gate of “the park,” (red circle to the left below) as Yellowstone is referred to here.

A few pics from Mammoth Hot Springs (red circle upper center above):

And last night, we ventured out to the Playmill Theater in town to see the last live performance of one of our favorite plays–Foreigner.

We saw this performed a few years ago in Cedar City, Utah, during their incredible Shakespeare Festival. Foreigner was one of the funniest stage performances we’ve ever seen.

The performance was a delight. And we loved their vegan ice cream during intermission (the actors served everyone concessions in our seats!).

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3. Reminder: Catch Our New Relevant Fiction Podcast – Ep. 1

In this debut episode of my new podcast, “Relevant Fiction: Stories with a Conscience,” I interview the real-life incarnation of my new book’s central character, Sam Travis. Lieutenant Tom Kasprzak (retired) is a guy you’ll want to meet. Lethal Game is the first in our new outdoor adventure series, available now.

In this episode, Tom describes what it’s REALLY like to be an undercover environmental cop, not to mention how dangerous that job was, and why illegal harvesting of wildlife is a global criminal enterprise involving some of the most unscrupulous characters on the planet.

You’ll also better understand why such a criminal enterprise is not only dangerous, but an unconscionable crime against nature. Scary and heartrending stuff that makes for entertaining fiction!

If you haven’t already caught this episode (it’s free), check it out on one of the following podcast platforms:

• Spotify
• iHeartRadio
• Castbox
• TuneIn
• Acast
• Amazon Music

In future episodes, I’ll explore compelling & socially relevant issues in some of my other books, as well as those of other authors. The common theme: social relevancy.

And check out the new Facebook group as an adjunct to this podcast: Relevant Fiction: Stories with a Conscience.

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4. Audiobook News

I’m putting the finishing touches on recording and editing my first-ever self-narrated audiobook, the first in my Aubrey Greigh Mystery Series. What an incredible adventure! And it’s not over yet.

I’m targeting availability of Voodoo Vendetta’s audiobook edition before Christmas, hopefully in November. Still too many unknowns to be more precise than that.

This has been (and still is) a gargantuan learning journey. For most of you, I imagine your eyes will glaze over. If that’s you (and that’s okay!), feel free to skip this section. But at least be aware of all that’s involved in producing an audiobook, and appreciate the challenge. Read on if you suffer from morbid curiosity.

You’ll see in a moment why it would reasonably cost $2,000 to $4,000 per book if I were to hire this out instead of doing it myself. At industry-standard rates of $265 – $400 PFH (per finished hour) to hire a narrator and to produce an audiobook, with my book’s finished runtime (average time to listen to the finished product) in the neighborhood of 8 hours, 16 minutes, this book would have cost me $2,100 to $3,300 to hire out (text prep, voice recording, audio editing, proofing, audio mastering, and distribution), and likely a lot more when all is said and done. Times ten books? So, sweat equity, it is!

I confess that between learning, repeated equipment tear-downs & set-ups (every time we move the bus), recording, and editing, I already have invested more than two months of solid effort on this side-hustle (maybe two or three hundred hours? More? Doesn’t matter. It’s a(nother) quest).

The second book will go much faster as I gain experience and sort out how to automate some of the tedious editing operations I now perform manually.

Here’s just a high-level snapshot of the talent, time, attitude, technical skills and equipment required to produce an audiobook, and I’m now on the home stretch with Voodoo Vendetta‘s audiobook edition):

• A “voice-over artist” (narrator) must perform every word, every pause, every inflection:
  • Choosing what each character and their attitude will sound like
  • Deciding when it’s appropriate for a sharp intake of breath, or gasp, or chuckle… and when those need to be edited out
  • Emulating each voice consistently throughout the entire book
  • Making each character “sound right” and unique in the context of the story
  • Switching smoothly between male and female voices while embodying the guts of each character in the sound of their (my) voice
  • Pronouncing and consistently sustaining dialects, both foreign and regional domestic
  • Pronouncing foreign words and accents appropriately (or not)
  • Representing the dramatic intent of each character’s voice
  • Knowing when to use pauses (and sensing how long should they be),
  • Using voice inflections and “verbal sound effects” (like the sound of gunshots or the click of a phone hanging up) without sounding corny and consistent with the characters’ roles in the story, as well as the setting for each scene
  • Adapting every word in the manuscript (script prep) to this spoken medium (I obviously don’t speak words like “he pronounced it as….” because I AM pronouncing it)
• Effective and efficient file management: creating and managing (storing and keeping track of) one audio file for each of:
  • The cover art with its specific requirements, including its square 2400 x 2400-pixel dimension (different from rectangular ebook or print requirements)
  • The book’s trailer (short audio description for marketing purposes)
  • Audio Intro (also called opening credits = title, author, narrated by….)
  • Commercial sample: 1 to 5 minutes long
  • 91 recorded chapters for Voodoo Vendetta (one audio file for each chapter)
  • Audio ending credits (“The End,” you’ve just listened to, by author, & narrator was, source copyright year, production copyright year, etc.)
  • A project file on the computer for each of these to be processed by the editing software (Logic Pro, Studio One, Reaper… these are all overkill for audiobook production. I use Audacity for voice and GarageBand for music)
  • All of these files comprise many raw gigabytes of computer storage (a LOT) for each project that is recorded over WEEKS. So, ensuring I don’t lose or misplace any of these files, or clog up my computer, requires a reliable cloud account (stored outside my own computer in “the cloud” and accessible from anywhere).
  • File and version management: I have at least five versions of each file (i.e., each chapter):
    • An Audacity project file (AUP3 format) used by the DAW (editing software)
    • Rough draft in WAV audio file format (very large uncompressed file with best quality for editing)
    • Intermediate draft in WAV audio format (after all the time-consuming editing is done, but before compression & final audio diagnostics are complete)
    • Final WAV audio format (after all diagnostic tests are completed and inevitable errors are corrected in each file, but before compression and final mastering)
    • Final MP3 (compressed and fully mastered) audio format (required format by audiobook distributors). Oh, and did I mention these distributors require this conversion to be saved with their own very specific “resolution” at a constant bit rate of 192 kilobits per second? Yeah, you don’t wanna know.
    • I then need to track which files have been uploaded to the audiobook distributor, and after a final “listen,” (“proof”) which will need to be re-uploaded because of character voice inconsistencies or something (anything) else that just doesn’t sound right
    • Naming each recorded chapter to both recognize what’s in the file and what order it must be in
    • If I didn’t have a PRECISE workflow to manage over five hundred files and all these different versions, just for this one book, can you imagine the chaos?
    • Now multiply that for the ten books I wish to record. that’s over five thousand files in multiple formats (!) for various purposes. Oh, baby!
  • Technical audio quality requirements, especially since my own hearing is no longer what it once was, and what the diagnostic software analyzes after rough editing is complete (this is called “mastering”):
    • ALL tracks for a particular project (audiobook) need to be either mono or stereo, NOT a mixture of both
    • Peak volume (the loudest allowed) = -3.0dB (a measure of loudness (for example, -2.0dB, or deciBels, is too loud, and will be rejected)
    • Noise “floor”, also called “room tone” (requirements for the purity of silence) must be less than -60dB. That’s REALLY QUIET, which means I need to record in a very quiet room
    • Average volume (“RMS”) – not too loud (must be less than -18dB) nor too soft (must be greater than -23dB) – average between those two volumes across the entire file, AND consistent BETWEEN files (i.e., chapters)
    • Precise requirements for the duration of “room tone” at the:
      • beginning (“head”) of each chapter (between 0.5 & 0.75 seconds)
      • end (“tail”) of each chapter (between 2.5 & 5.0 seconds)
    • One dimension of how the mike’s sound is converted from analog (real-world) to digital (computer-world) is called a sample rate. Must be 44,100 samples per second during this conversion process (a compromise between file size and sound quality – beyond that, don’t ask!)
• Equipment & environment (including recording location) and attitude necessary to achieve the desired/required audio quality across the entire project:
  • Soft surfaces in the recording “booth” that don’t reflect sounds which produce an unpleasant hollow effect (and doing whatever it takes to achieve this, no matter how silly it might seem to earthlings – that’s the attitude part): pillows, towels, clothes….
  • A good-quality large-diaphragm condenser microphone (pro-caliber) mounted on a boom arm that allows me to position the “mike” or “mic” precisely in front of my mouth – slightly above (an important factor often underrated or ignored). This was an important lesson for me that included lots of do-overs
  • An interface that converts the mike’s analog (real-world) signal into a digital (computer-understandable) form and allows me to control the “shape” of the sound before it’s sent to the computer in digital format (volume, gain, compression, effects, etc). Mine’s called a “mixer” or “board”
  • Digital Audio Workstation (DAW), a computer program that receives (records) and processes (allows me to edit or to perform some automated editing) the volume & sound of my voice in a digital form from the mixer that can then be made available to consumers by audiobook distributors (Audible, Apple, Findaway Voices, Soundwise, etc,)
  • This DAW (I’m using an open-source program called Audacity, popular in the production of audiobooks) also allows me to edit what I’ve recorded:
    • Eliminating me clearing my throat, lip-smacking, adjusting the length of pauses in my narration, listening to what I’ve recorded, adjusting volume, compressing, equalizing (“changing” & “shaping” the sound), converting my recordings from very high quality (but very large files) to very good quality compressed file formats (reasonable-size files required by audiobook distributors).
    • And the DAW must ensure technical consistency across all my chapters.
    • Using diagnostic software (multiple programs) to ensure that each file (across a hundred Voodoo Vendetta’s chapters, front matter & back matter files) consistently meets the precise technical requirements demanded by each audiobook distributor. I must run each of these hundred audio files through each of these diagnostic programs, and correct any deficiencies in meeting these technical requirements. Remember? Noise floor, average volume, peak volume, duration of lead-ins, lead-outs, etc)?

So what does all this mean? This was a fabulous learning experience, and takes me back to my roots as a recording engineer ~fifty years ago. Unimaginable how much has changed since then, but I’m finding this immersive experience a lot of fun.

And many of you have asked for audiobook editions. So, here we are!

Plus, this is an important reminder that “engineering,” even audio engineering, is a precise profession. For a reason. Just to bring you a pleasing audiobook experience. So you don’t have to worry about all this crap, or even be aware of it.

To achieve all this while living on the road, though, my motorhome’s bedroom becomes my “studio recording booth,” on demand, and a lot is makeshift. That requires the right can-do attitude.

I open mirrored closet doors to expose all the soft clothes hanging inside, and I hang a soft terrycloth towel over the hardwood bedroom door. The kingsize bed remains unmade (ruffled). I stand pillows up behind my microphone. Why?

Because soft and irregular surfaces absorb undesirable sound reflections. That’s good. That means killing subtle or not-so-subtle sound echoing around as it’s recorded to avoid the dreaded hollow (thin) sound. You might not even notice it, but the microphone will.

After all, I don’t want my recordings to sound like I’m sitting on a toilet in tiled (echoey) bathroom! Not very professional (try to unsee THAT image in your mind’s eye).

Some audio sins can be absolved in “post-production,” that is, I can edit out some sound problems in the DAW after I’m done recording, but that takes time, and just doesn’t sound as good.

But you knew all of this, right? Thank the universe within which you hatched that you don’t have to if you didn’t. You see, the world needs geeks like me for SOME stuff! Even when it’s self-induced.

But if you know me, you know I’m a control freak. ‘Nuf said?

Okay, so here’s where we REALLY dive down the rabbit hole. Feel free to skip the following, but some of you will find this audio engineering stuff perversely fascinating, if even just to superficially browse so you can delight in NOT having to know any of this crap yourself (but I love it, so). Most of you who might someday delve into audiobook production will simply choose to write a check or swipe a card. Understandable. Believe me! Especially after reading my tomb of audio misadventures.

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Big fun, eh, kids?

That’s it! So, until next time, and wherever…

Let’s roll!

Gene