Thanks so much, Anne!

I’ve always heard the journey is more important the destination. This book is certainly proving that point to me!

Thanks again for the note.

Karen

Hi, Alicia! Thanks for the nice note.

Perseverance and gratitude are such wonderful traits, and you have them in spades!

I love that you haven’t let challenges stop you from your writing and are continuing on your path.

Best wishes for your continued health and success!

Karen

Good answer!
Continue to enjoy the journey Karen!

You’re done when you’re done.

Each book + author combination is different, and, for each one that gets published, the timing is what it took.

There’s no point in shoulds or guilt or Impostor Syndrome – once it’s published.

You get to feel better by comparison: I’ve been working on my Pride’s Children trilogy since it was vouchsafed to me as a whole in 2000. PURGATORY was published in 2015, NETHERWORLD in 2022, and I’m working on LIMBO as we speak.

I am pleased with how the first two volumes handled this story, dealt with a lot of new physical challenges this year, and keep coming back to the writing. As I will until it’s finished or I am.

A recent article on the Washington Post commented on the three qualities necessary for good mental health: mindfulness, optimism, and gratitude – and I have all three daily just for the fact that I can write.

Keep at it – you’re OBJECTIVELY doing fine.

Hi, Christine! Thanks so much for reading this essay and your warm, encouraging comments!

I would love to hear about your writing and cheer you on whenever you want to talk about it.

Pet your sweet doggie for me!

Karen

Hi, Alicia! Thanks for your patience about my delayed reply.

Authors who want to narrate their audiobooks will want to read this article and this one.

Any service that “evaluates” books for potential and suitability as an audiobook is probably a rip-off.

A professional narrator would use her acting experience to distinguish interior monologue from spoken dialogue, even without tags.

The best advice I can give you and all authors is read EVERY word aloud. This article explains the reasoning and offers 3 more ways that planning your audiobook will make you a better writer.

I hope this info helps. Best wishes for your success!

Karen

Thanks, Leon! I needed a laugh! 😆

Karen

Use AI to scam if you must but don’t be that lazy … 🤣

I would NOT even consider using anything but a HUMAN narrator.

I had planned to do it myself. I like learning new stuff, and had some acting training. And, of course, know my story and my characters better than anyone.

HOWEVER, time’s passing, I’m getting older (I’m 77), and I am barely started on writing the third book in my Pride’s Children mainstream trilogy.

So I MAY consider hiring a human narrator, but never an AI/virtual one. And even that will be a tough job for me to learn/manage.

Is there a service that evaluates books for their potential to be turned into audiobooks? I have a LOT of interior monologue, very little in the way of dialogue tags.

Please accept my offer of an electronic ARC of the first two volumes if you read mainstream fiction.