#AudioBookBlogTour “The Return of King Lillian” by Suzie Plakson

September 22, 2019September 12, 2019 ~ Felicia Denise ~ 1 Comment

Author: Suzie Plakson

Narrator: Suzie Plakson

Length: 11 hours and 54 minutes

Publisher: Pilmsthistle & Co.

Released: Aug. 2, 2019

Genre: Fantasy

THE RETURN OF KING LILLIAN is a new hero’s journey for dreamers of all ages.

When Lillian, the one and only heir to the throne, is cast out of her kingdom by malevolent forces, she accidentally wanders into the Forest of Forgetfullness, where she is rescued by wolves and raised by an eccentric old wise woman. When she comes of age, she is called by Destiny to return home. The trouble is, when Lillian steps out of the Forest, she has no memory of who she is or from whence she hails. Undaunted, the spirited, self-reliant young woman sets off into the unknown, determined to rediscover her long lost self and to reclaim her stolen birthright.

Early readers and listeners have compared this allegorical saga to The Last Unicorn, The Alchemist, The Princess Bride, and The Once and Future King. The Return of King Lillian is a story for people who take the road less traveled, people who live outside the box, people who love fantasy, fairy tales, myth, and metaphysics. This debut novel, written and narrated by multi-media artist Suzie Plakson, is a journey full of comedy, calamity, and a host of unforgettable characters.

2019 Pinnacle Book Achievement Award Winner

2019 Readers’ Favorite Award Winner

EDITORIAL REVIEWS:

“The Return of King Lillian is entrancing, audacious, and addictive in the very best way. A splendidly creative allegory told by Suzie Plakson with flair, wit, and passion.”

— Marianne de Pierres, author of Parrish Plessis and The Peacemaker series

“The Return of King Lillian is a basket of magic. Echoing Joseph Campbell’s feeling that the world needs new storytellers and new myths to help us greet the coming age, I’ll say that Suzie Plakson is one of those storytellers, and King Lillian is one of those myths.”

— Jacob Nordby, author of Blessed are the Weird: A Manifesto for Creatives

“With The Return of King Lillian, Suzie Plakson has done the impossible, telling a tale that at once seems both like a timeless classic and something modern, fresh, and entirely new. And her audiobook performance is a joy in its own right. Suzie casts you under her spell as she inhabits the character of Lillian, as well as every other magical creature and person Lillian encounters along her journey. This impeccably-produced recording is guaranteed to brighten your day and lift your spirits!”

— David Briggs, Supervising Sound Editor, Tales of the City, Divorce

“To say that King Lillian thoroughly enchanted me and left me spellbound would be the understatement of the century. I’ve listened to hundreds of audiobooks, and King Lillian is my favorite of all. Suzie Plakson’s voice is velvet mixed with grit mixed with enchantment. It takes you into another realm – into the mystic.”

— Kelly Sullivan Walden, author of It’s All in Your Dreams

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Suzie Plakson has been in love with fairy tale and myth ever since she was a young lass growing up in the wilds of suburbia. The idea for The Return of King Lillian first came to her when she was a struggling theatre actor in New York City, doing odd jobs, improv comedy, and various off-off-Broadway productions. She eventually landed a lead in a national tour, which dropped her off in Hollywood, and since that time she has appeared in such films and television shows as Mad About You, Love and War, Wag the Dog, Dinosaurs, Everybody Loves Raymond, How I Met Your Mother and Star Trek. She has also done voiceovers, written short stories and poetry, written and recorded an alternative country album, created an allegorical solo show, and produced sculptures large and small in her otherwise unused oven. The Return of King Lillian is her debut novel. Read more at: kinglillian.com and suzieplakson.com

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#AudioBookBlogTour “December Protocol (The Immortal Archives Book 1)” by Devin Hanson

September 22, 2019September 14, 2019 ~ Felicia Denise ~ Leave a comment

Author: Devin Hanson

Narrator: Rhett Samuel Price

Series: The Immortal Archives, Book 1

Length: 11 hours 50 minutes

Publisher: Devin Hanson

Released: Jan. 12, 2018

Genre: Technothriller

For Amazon best-selling author Devin Hanson, the question is not how to achieve immortality, the question is what happens when we do?

Throughout the entirety of history, humanity has fought against sickness, old age, frailty, even death itself hoping for eternal life. Countless legends and stories share the same hunt: extend our lifetimes beyond the impossibly brief moment we have. Hanson imagines life beyond those legends and stories – a solar system where humanity has discovered the secret to immortal life, at an extreme cost. What horrors await a society that rests an economy on the most scarce resource man has ever known – eternal life?

Join The December Protocol in following three characters uniquely affected by the most amazing technological change humanity has ever experienced. Min, an ageless Earth-born marshal older than the very Martian colonies he fights to enforce a brittle and bleak law upon. Angeline, a young girl terrified by the social and scientific necessities prompted by the promise of eternal life. Marcus, a man brought to his knees by that emperor of all maladies, cancer, willing to pay the ultimate price for perfect health through immortality.

The December Protocol rockets the listener into the late 24th century and raises thrilling questions about how far mankind would go to preserve the most precious gift we’ve ever received: immortality.

Devin Hanson (1983-present) was born in Beaverton, Oregon. After a childhood spent programming computers and playing Dungeons and Dragons, Devin’s career took a random turn to counseling. It was during his years as a counselor that he developed his insight into the human condition and renewed his interest in writing. Currently, Devin works as a web developer, spending his free time creating tales of fantasy and science fiction. Devin has recently escaped Los Angeles and has moved down to San Diego.

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Narrator Bio

After a long career in law enforcement, Rhett switched gears and applied his vocal talents (not to mention the manners and voices of thousands of people he met including celebrities, state and federal dignitaries, numerous presidents and foreign heads of state) into becoming a versatile and notable audiobook narrator. He has honed his acting skills through workshops with Steven Tobolowsky, Willie Garson, VO Peeps’ Anne Ganguzza and Kalmenson & Kalmenson Casting Agency in Burbank, CA. His audiobook skills have been sharpened through workshops and seminars with Scott Brick, Jeffrey Kafer, PJ Ochlan, Hillary Huber, and Sean Allen Pratt. Rhett’s has been favorably reviewed by Audiofile Magazine for his work on “The Blood of Emmett Till”. He is noted for his smooth calm, consistent delivery that is easygoing and relaxing to listen to over a long period of time.

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Q&A with Narrator Rhett Samuel Price

When did you know you wanted to be an audiobook narrator?
- From the very first story I told around a campfire at my childhood best friend’s home. I loved recounting the tale of “The Chicken Heart that ate Cincinnati.” Although I took a slight detour in another life profession, I also knew I would return to telling stories.
How did you wind up narrating audiobooks? Was it always your goal or was it something you stumbled into by chance?
- I took an audiobook narration course with Patrick Fraley and guest instructor Scott Brick. I had been working with Pat on doing commercial VO work and he suggested audiobooks. From taking that class, I received my first offer to produce my first audiobook.
A lot of narrators seem to have a background in theatre. Is that something you think is essential to a successful narration career?
- No, I don’t think you need a background in theatre, but you do need a passion for learning the fine art/craft of acting. Anyone can read a book. And that’s what it will sound like, someone just reading. But to bring an audiobook to life, learning how to act and constantly honing that talent is essential.
What type of training have you undergone?
- I was fortunate in my former career to have been an on-air traffic reporter for KABC-TV, channel 7, Los Angeles, and numerous radio stations throughout southern California. I had no teleprompter and often had to go live with realtime events and provide a narrative or story of what was happening. To help with this, I took classes with Kalmenson and Kalmenson, Nancy Wolfson and Pat Fraley. I also took acting classes with Willie Garson and Stehen Tobolowsky. For audiobooks I trained with Pat Fraley, Scott Brick, Sean Allen Pratt and Paul Allen Ruben.
What are your favorite and least favorite parts of narrating an audiobook?
- A wonderfully edited book. A poorly edited book.
What about this title compelled you to audition as narrator?
- The initial description of a society living on mars caught my eye. But when I read the audition, the first paragraph sucked me into the story and I could wait to read more. Devin does such a beautiful job of providing rich characters and worlds, you can’t help but want to follow their story.
How did you decide how each character should sound in this title?
- I didn’t have to decide. Devin provided everything needed in the text and they spoke to me form the page.
Has anyone ever recognized you from your voice?
- Yes. All the time. Even more so when I was on-air. People would give me odd looks, but if I spoke to someone and they could hear me, I would get, “Hey! You’re that guy ….” I have a few audiobook fans who say they would recognize my voice anywhere.
How does audiobook narration differ from other types of voiceover work you’ve done?
- Audiobook narration is a long haul. You are not with the listener for 15, 30 or 60 seconds. You are with a listener for hours at a time. You have a much more intimate relationship with them, and sometimes, you maybe the only one there when they might be going through a troubling time in life. You are providing the listener with an escape from reality by staging a play just for them.
Bonus question: Any funny anecdotes from inside the recording studio?
- Yes. It’s about my favorite director. Max. Max was my 13 year old Shitzu poodle. (He passed away just last year.) He was with me from the very start and would lay down underneath my table in the studio by my feet while I was recording. Now, what made Max my favorite director? Well, while recording, if I was doing well, rhythm was correct, accents were on spec, pacing was right, I could record, and record, and not hear a sound from him. But as soon as something went wrong, I would hear this loud snoring coming from under the table. I mean loud! At first, I thought he was just falling asleep (in reality he was, I was boring him to death) but then I realized it was his way of telling me, “Hey! You’re not reading it right, get a clue!” And you know what, when I would go back and listen to the passage where he started snoring, Max was always 100% right!

BOOK 1

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#Review “Ring Fenced” by Zach Abrams

September 22, 2019September 22, 2019 ~ Felicia Denise ~ Leave a comment

Ring Fenced cover

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2/5 Stars!

I’m a big fan of psychological thrillers. I love being on the edge of my seat with protagonists left isolated, maybe with a single friend or confidant, maybe not. They no longer know who they can trust or are now seen as untrustworthy because the antagonist(s) has done their job well. Our hero no longer has control over his own life or fate, and without a miracle, he will lose everything he holds dear… and maybe even his life.

Ring Fenced is not that story.

For me, it was more a character study, but I was never sure who the main personality was.

Benjamin Short is a control freak, albeit not in a dominant or abusive way.

He is methodical and close to obsessive as he lives his life through several personas.

The corporate wunderkind of high finance, the loving husband and father of two, the Jewish son who’s abandoned his family’s orthodox beliefs… but still visits his parents on Sundays, and the devil-may-care Harley rider who keeps a separate residence for sexual liaisons. And there’s still the multi-millionaire co-owner of an internet-based pornography business that deals more with the technical aspects and less with sex.

It was exhausting to keep up with whom Ben was, but even more frustrating to watch him get away with it for as long as he did. The man had clothes, vehicles… and even watches for each of his personalities. No one questioned him. No one found the flaws or saw the cracks. Why, because he was just that good? Really? His wife, Natasha’s, past explained her trusting nature, but I’d think a college-educated journalist would be much sharper and observant of her husband’s comings and goings. So many rules and explanations. I believe Natasha, at last, may have been headed toward a come-to-Jesus meeting with Ben, but the story went in another direction.

However, all good things must end and Ben’s house of cards topples.

It could have been epic or suspenseful, but for me, it was more just a moment that passed. Like most of his story.

I thought as first I was dealing with a slow build but as more and more of the story unfolded… it just kept unfolding. Describing Ben’s day, his clothing, his surroundings, what he ate, and spending far too much time in his head. It would have been nice to see more scenes and fewer memories or recollections. The suspense I was waiting for never showed up. The many opportunities for conflict were smoothed over and brushed aside with minor effort. Thanks, Ben.

The only time I was in Ben’s corner was during the nasty Clive-business. Ben’s demeanor gave his wife pause—good thing she never knew the whole story—but Clive deserved every bit.

That Ben was brilliant goes without saying. But his intelligence was also his fatal flaw and the obstacle to any suspense in this read. Ben’s backstory is played out to explain how he got to be the man he is today, but I never understood WHY. His life was no worse than anyone else’s and better than most. For me, it was all about Ben’s choices… and those choices were purely selfish.

The end felt rushed, way too easy, and left me with questions that will never be answered. After all the time spent inside Benjamin Short’s head, I still have no idea who he is and I don’t think he does either.

(Read through Kindle Unlimited)

~~~

Sex. Money. Power. Control. Benjamin wants it all.

He is Bennie, a loving husband and father; Benjie, a beloved son. He climbs the ladder as Ben, a corporate banker, and rakes in money as a bestselling author. And when he wants to escape it all, Benjamin styles himself as Jamie — the lover of a beautiful musician.

His life, in a word, is perfect. But after years of keeping his separate personae a secret, cracks begin to appear in the façade.

When an unexpected series of events topples Benjamin’s carefully crafted world, his separate lives collide with dire consequences.

Ring Fenced

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Purchase Links

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Song Lyric Sunday | “I Can’t Wait” – Nu Shooz

September 22, 2019September 21, 2019 ~ Felicia Denise ~ 11 Comments

SLS banner

Song Lyric Sunday was created by Helen Vahdati from This Thing Called Life One Word at a Time and author Jim Adams from A Unique Title For Me is our current guest host. For complete rules or to join in the fun, click here.

This week’s theme is “Clothing/Hat/Pants/Scarf/Shirt/Shoes/Tie.”

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I went left of center this week and used the theme in the group name instead of the song.

Originally to be called The Point of No Return, the song was remixed overseas and the title changed to I Can’t Wait. It’s the remixed version that appears on the 1986 album Poolside by the group Nu Shooz.

The song reached No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot Dance Club Play chart in late March 1986, remaining atop the chart for two weeks and No. 3 on the Hot 100 chart, where it climbed in mid-June of that year, and remained in the top 40 for 15 weeks. I Can’t Wait reached #2 on the R&B/Soul singles chart.

FUN FACTS:

The song’s American chart run coincided with that of a Stevie Nicks song also titled I Can’t Wait.
A writeup in Spin magazine said about the single: “You can listen to this record as many times as you want and still not have any strong impressions that human beings actually made it. In other words, it’s the perfect disco record.”

The music video contains animations and has a hint of the very surreal. The plot has Valerie Day singing the song sitting at a desk, repairing a coffeepot, while tools and other oddities pass into the frame and out again. Her dog sits nearby, wearing sunglasses.

Enjoy!

See my Song Lyric Sunday selection for FeliciaDenise.com.

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Disclaimer: I have no copyrights to the song and/or video and/or hyperlinks to songs and/or videos and/or gifs above. No copyright infringement intended.

I Can’t Wait

by Nu Shooz

Songwriter: John Robert Smith

My love, tell me what it’s all about
You’ve go something that I can’t live without
Happiness, is so hard to find
Hey baby, tell me what is on your mind
‘Cause I can’t wait (baby I can’t wait) till you call me on the telephone
I can’t wait (baby I can’t wait) till we’re all alone
You know I love you even when you don’t try
I know that our love will never die
Hey darling when you look into my eye
Please tell me you’ll never have to say goodbye
‘Cause I can’t wait (baby I can’t wait) this is what I’ve been waiting for
I can’t wait (baby I can’t wait) till my love walked in the door
I can’t wait (baby I can’t wait) true love is so hard to find
I found yours, you found mine
I can’t wait (baby I can’t wait) tell me what is on your mind
Got to let you know
I can’t wait (baby I can’t wait) till you call me on the telephone
I can’t wait (baby I can’t wait) till we’re all alone
Oh oh I can’t wait (baby I can’t wait) true love is so hard to find
I found yours, you found mine
I can’t wait (baby I can’t wait) tell me what is on your mind
No, no, I can’t wait (baby I can’t wait)
No, I can’t wait (baby I can’t wait)
Say it one more time
Oh I can’t wait (baby I can’t wait) this is what I’ve been waiting for
Oh I can’t wait (baby I can’t wait) till my love walked in the door