Tag Archive | audiobooks

Passed My Portfolio–Onward and Upward!

I have little one here today, so no time to work on anything, but I am eager to get started on the new art lessons.

I had my sales report for Audible/ACX and have learned they’re giving our audiobooks away. So instead of getting any sales, I’m getting a negative amount of sales, I mean in they’re charging me for sales!!!

I moved 13 of my 30 audiobook titles to Findaway Voices already, and thank God, I’m selling books there and getting a small check. I’m trying to recoup my narrator fees from many of the 30 books still!!! I think 8 have finally made a small profit. But with all the others, it’s not like I’m making any money–I’m just trying to break even. So what ACX is doing is a real slap in authors’ faces. Unfortunately, I won’t be able to pull the other 17 titles from ACX until my 7-year contract is up in a couple of years. Some will come due next year and I’ll be switching them as fast as humanly possible. What a shoddy deal!!!

In other publishing news, Barnes and Noble still hasn’t produced Catch the Cougar, A Halloween Novella. In an email, they assured me it’s coming, I don’t have to try and republish it. So I check a few times a day and it’s still “publishing.” It’s coming. I’m sure of it!

In good news, I just signed a contract to write the next 3 wolf books. *Drum Roll, Please!*

White Wolf–David Davis’s story

Billionaire Wolf–the friend of Aiden and his brother’s story

Red Wolf Christmas–Josh’s brother’s story–he runs the reindeer ranch!

That means I need to write them and they will come out in 2022. I know you want them next year, BUT we have a line up for that year too!

Wolf Wears Plaid, Silence of the Wolf’s 10th anniversary release, Wolff Bros Christmas, and another red wolf title.

In the meantime, I’m still working on Cougar Christmas Calamity!

A big shout out to all the postal workers and election volunteers who have worked hard this year in a time of a pandemic.

Okay, little one should be here any moment and I need to get going on my day. Hope yours is great!!!

Terry

“Giving new meaning to the term alpha male where fantasy is reality.”
Connect with Terry Spear:
Website: http://www.terryspear.com
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/421434.Terry_Spear
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TerrySpearParanormalRomantics
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TerrySpear
Wilde & Woolly Bears: http://www.celticbears.com
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How to Choose Who Wins

Nov21

I had several CD Audiobook giveaways to offer, so how do I choose the winners? It depends. Sometimes for loyal readers, sometimes for the hope of new readers. For those who follow my blogs/FB, newsletter. For those who comment on my FB or blog. It’s amazing how many people comment daily on my postings, but others never do unless it’s for a giveaway.

It’s like a test too. Does an entrant really say something in a comment? Or just: I love the cover, or not even that. A heart. It costs me money to send gifts so I like to feel that when I give them, it means something to the recipient and it means something to me.

I look at FB pages of entrants. Some of my readers share my posts. One shared all of the CD offerings. She will win one because I appreciate that she could narrow her chances at winning by letting her friends know about it, but she helped spread the word. Not only that, but she often shares my posts, not just stuff like this!

I look to see how many have already received tons of books from me. I look to see who all enters contests and that’s it. I’ve given several books to one “reader” who always says, “I’ve never read any of your books.” So, hmm, what happened to the ones I sent to her? I’m now wary of that ploy! But hey, it works for her! Authors are drawn in by the chance to hook a new reader. But it’s just a game for a “reader” like her.

I know some authors do a chance drawing, so if someone posts a response a couple of times on the posting, they have a better chance at winning. Playing the system. Not really interested in the books as much as winning the game. Look. What. I . Won.

I want someone to win my books who genuinely is interested in my books.

Years ago when I was sharing books on a review site, the owner said they read every response and chose the best reader comments for a win.

That’s what I try to do.

For loyal readers. For those who are just getting started with my series. For those who want a chance to check them out. I like giving books away when I can. But it costs me money and I want to feel that I get something back in return.

So I’m off and writing on Bite of the Vampire, have books to ship, and I’m now farther along on the 2nd book in the series than the 3rd book. I might finish it before the end of the year. Here’s hoping! I still need to try and put the Halloween cougar novella in print, and I’m working on edits on Falling for the Cougar, and Red Wolf Christmas (now Joy to the Wolves) edits are coming soon.

Have a super great day! I’m off to choose some winners so I can get these shipped today!

Terry

Follow Me for new releases and book deals: http://www.bookbub.com/authors/terry-spear

Deadline Nightmare

Aug10

I was keeping up with my word goal, and then–book edits happened. They want two more promo blogs too. But You Had Me at Wolf edits came and those are easy, but it’s a long book and I’m through 90 of 250 pages. They were late on sending it to me, so it means they need me to finish it pronto. And first edits came on another book, and that one they want to move the release date to May, so they asked if I could get them done quickly too.

In the meantime, I decided to transfer 13 of my audiobooks from ACX to Findaway Voices because they didn’t have exclusive rights to them. When I first signed with them, I thought there were other audiobook outlets, but there weren’t. So I was getting barely any percentage of income off them from ACX and no way to share them otherwise. It’s rotten on the audiobooks because we pay so much for narration, not the seller, so we have a lot of money tied up in them. Findaway has wider distribution, but I don’t know how well it will do either. Some authors say they do much better.

Anyway, ACX finally transferred the titles and I had to redo 13 of the audiobook covers and upload all the metadata, so did that in the last two days, got 1,000 words word count on the new book the one day, and managed 90 pages of the one book I’m editing. So no new blog. I want to get back to the other book before I forget where I’m at. *sigh*

And, I asked for my rights back from a small print publisher I’ve been with for years and years and years. They have the first 2 of my Highland books and a western time travel. Without the 1st 2 Highland books, I can’t reduce the sale price to have like a BookBub ad for the first in the series. But it means editing the books, formatting them for ebooks and print books and making new covers for both. They’re coming back to me around the 14th.

That’s why I haven’t been blogging. Just too much to keep up with. And the heat is awful. I’ll be glad when it starts dropping to around 94 degrees as the high, which is still a heat index of 104. Tuesday it will be 111. Today and tomorrow, 109. So 104 will seem cooler.

Okay, I’m off to read!!! I hope to have the edits done for one of the books today. Have a wonderful weekend!

Terry

Follow Me for new releases and book deals: http://www.bookbub.com/authors/terry-spear

Having a Morning and a Half

Aug1

That’s not good. I finally get a response about the audiobook titles I can transfer, I need to upload them. So I start doing that–need the cover, wait, no permission to open file to use, hate changing up to Windows 10. I mean, some things are good–my raw filter now works on Photoshop again. But other stuff like this is a real pain. I’ve tried to gain access, but I’m just not savvy enough to figure it out. I finally was able to open the file, and there are all the images but I can’t open them. No access. The administrator has to approve access. I. Am. The. Administrator. Let me in or I’ll huff and I’ll puff and I’ll…

All of this takes away from writing and I’m having trouble enough with staying on track and I know more edits will be coming down the pike.

So…I’m trying to make a cover from scratch, but that takes time. So who said this was going to be a piece of cake? Can I give them a piece of my mind?

I’m off to try and get word count and then play with a cover in the meantime.

Have a fun day!!! Mine will be productive and great….I’m determined to make it so.

Terry

Follow Me for new releases and book deals: http://www.bookbub.com/authors/terry-spear

Audiobooks–Cougar’s Mate–Love Them!

Mar2

Cougar’s Mate

Buy Link:

https://adbl.co/2EH9BqZ

Cougar’s Mate: Instinct told her to run…

Shannon Rafferty learns that hanging out with the bad boys could be a dangerous business, but hooking up with a cop is even worse. Now she’s on the run, trying to avoid being murdered by his cougar shifter brothers and uncle. If that isn’t bad enough, a deputy sheriff hunts her down while she’s running as a cougar and trying to survive in the Colorado wilderness. He vows to protect her no matter what she’s done. With three dead boyfriends to her name, she’s sure she will be the death of Chase Buchanan before either of them can prevent it. No matter how much she knows she has to run again, he soon holds her heart hostage. But will that be enough to keep them both alive?

Chase Buchanan – as wilderness cabin resort owner, former US Army Special Forces, and part time deputy of the small town of Yuma, Colorado, that boasts a love of cougars – is tasked to track down a cougar reported to be hunting human prey. Chase soon learns she’s a shifter, not a full-time cougar, and she’s on the run. When he takes her in, he vows to protect her. After losing his wife and baby to the human kind of predator years earlier, he’s not letting Shannon’s hunters kill her, too. But how is he going to hold onto the wild-cat woman, who is unpredictable at every turn, without losing his heart to her, and then losing her as well?

I’m not sure I did this right, but I was trying to share a sample of Cougar’s Mate Audiobook. I LOVE audiobooks. It’s amazing how much work I can get done when I’m listening to a book. Or on a drive, how I can get places without realizing how long it took me to get there.

A disclaimer: Sometimes I have gotten so lost in a book while driving long-distance, that I’ve missed my turnoff. And the first book I listened to while I was painting a bedroom made me want to paint the whole house so I could finish the book. When I listened to them on the drive home from working at the library, I have been known to sit in my car listening to the darn book, not wanting to get out because, ack, the author left me hanging!

I’ve heard that some readers love them because reading pages is too much of an eye strain.

So just throwing that out there, while I’m biting my nails (not really, I don’t really, really do that), gnashing teeth (also don’t really do), and pulling my hair out (it comes out way too much as it is, so no pulling hair out) while I’m trying to figure where to go on this book. And I’m working on taxes–more gnashing of teeth, hair pulling, and nail biting….

Have a super, wonderfully fun or relaxing or both day. I’m having fun!!! Really! I am! Despite the above mentioned problems, I’m having fun! I am!

You know why? Because I’m tackling the problems. And I know if I tackle them long enough, I will overcome and then both the book and taxes will be done and I’ll be on cloud nine again! Really! Until the next deadline. Which follows this one.

Terry

Follow Me for new releases and book deals: www.bookbub.com/authors/terry-spear

Need a Do-Over Day?

May22

Games are great to play because if you make a terrible play, you can just restore an earlier game. Yesterday was one of those days that I felt I had fallen out of bed on the wrong side. Everything that could go wrong, did. And then, last night, same thing.

But you know what? I persisted. Didn’t help, but I kept going and didn’t give up.

heart of the wolf audio, billionaire wolf christmas 1000 007

Garlic growing in the fridge planted in the planter, bunny ears flower, pouring rain with another wild thunderstorm, Heart of the Wolf in audiobook! and Billionaire Wolf for Christmas–coming October.

This morning, I hadn’t set the alarm because I ALWAYS get up early. I wrote that my characters woke late. Well guess what? I woke later. 5:45 and I’m like, ack!!!!! I usually get up an hour earlier on baby day. So I was rushing around to get everything done that I usually do before she ends up here. And I made it!!! I soooo hope today isn’t another day that I feel I need a do-over!

Have a great one. Baby is here!

Terry

signature line email Seal Wolf Undercover, Cougar Undercover, Dreaming of a White Wolf Christmas, My Highlander 300 x120

Evolution of Audible Covers–by the Publisher

Aug3

Savage Hunger: Heart of the Jaguar, Book 1 | [Terry Spear]

Savage Hunger, Book 1, 1st book in Audible

This one was nicely done.

http://www.audible.com/pd/Romance/Savage-Hunger-Audiobook/B00NAGI2KQ

Jaguar Pride | [Terry Spear]

Jaguar Pride, Book 4, 2nd book in Audible (someone got them out of order)

Poor design.

When we upload our indie work, one of the things Audible said is that we can’t use a black border like this. Or just use a wider version of the book cover. But sometimes it’s hard to use the same cover for the expanded version from a cover that is a narrower proportion for a book cover to fit a square audiobook cover, especially when we’ve bought the cover from a cover artist and it’s four or five years down the road. But a publisher should be able to do this right.

http://www.audible.com/pd/Romance/Jaguar-Pride-Audiobook/B00WVDEGJK

SEAL Wolf Hunting | [Terry Spear]

SEAL Wolf Hunting, Book 16, 1st wolf book in Audible, 3rd book ready in Audible. This one was interesting, but I could have done it. And it doesn’t make use of the whole space to allow for the title and author’s name to expand a bit, plus it obscures the actual cover. Since this is a brand new ebook and print book release, I don’t see why they couldn’t have made it more like the next cover or the first cover.

http://www.audible.com/pd/Romance/SEAL-Wolf-Hunting-Audiobook/B011D4TXDG

Jaguar Fever | [Terry Spear]

Jaguar Fever, Book 2, 4th book in Audible.

I love this one!

http://www.audible.com/pd/Romance/Jaguar-Fever-Audiobook/B01317BQ24

Which do you like best?

Okay, back to my regularly scheduled writing! Have a great day!

Terry

“Giving new meaning to the term alpha male where fantasy is reality.”

Connect with Terry Spear:

Website: http://www.terryspear.com

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/421434.Terry_Spear

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TerrySpearParanormalRomantics

Twitter: https://twitter.com/TerrySpear

Wilde & Woolly Bears http://www.celticbears.com

SEAL Wolf Hunting is OUT!!!

Jul7

After months of writing, more weeks of editing, and more revising, and proofing, and in the meantime writing 4 more books–Silver Wolf Christmas (Oct 2015), She-Wolf Leader of the Pack (Feb 2016), SEAL Wolf Diving for Trouble (Summer 2016), Phantom Fae (Apr 2015), and 55,000 words into Billionaire in Wolf’s Clothing (25,000 words to go, woohoo!), while promoting the new release of Jaguar Pride (Feb 2015) it seems like eons ago that I wrote SEAL Wolf Hunting. An eternity.

Book 17

Don’t have covers for SEAL Wolf Diving for Trouble, or She-Wolf, or Billionaire yet. 🙂

And here you all thought I was goofing off!!!! With trips, and book signings, and playing with puppies and taking pictures, and visiting zoos and wolf parks and well, just plain old goofing off.

But you see writing is REALLY my day job and unlike Rick Castle on CASTLE, who writes one book a year, I get a little more done in a year. I have to. I have 3 wolf books and a jaguar book coming out next year. And more, when I can find the time. See if you can match that, Rick Castle. Oh, sure, he’s running around flirting with Detective Kate Becket and helping her to solve murder cases, but that’s the same as taking trips to zoos, playing with puppies, and taking pictures–time-wise, right?

And yet he’s a multi-millionaire crime thriller novelist. Hmm, maybe I should switch genres. Oh, I know it’s because the women flock to him and books aren’t the only thing that he’s signing. *sigh*

So I have to make do with what I have and…write more.

Book 16

I have to thank my fans for loving my books though. You are my inspiration! Every time I write a scene, I wonder–will you love it as much as I do? I’ve been writing some fun scenes in Billionaire in Wolf’s Clothing, and those scenes make the book memorable to me. But every book has them.

Even after writing so many other books, nearly 5 since I wrote SEAL Wolf Hunting, I still can vividly see some of my favorite scenes–Paul Cunningham, retired Navy SEAL wolf who now does undercover freelance work has come home with his SEAL team body, Allan Rappaport, after a grueling mission. They lost one of the college students they were supposed to rescue.

Paul suffers from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. But I don’t belabor it. It’s just to show how something like that can make someone react to situations that others will take no note of. When Lori Greypaw realizes Paul might be reacting to situations because of PTSD, she reaches out to him, to help him deal with it. HE doesn’t believe he is having any trouble at all. But when he breaks into Allan’s mother’s home, both men covered in face paint and armed and ready to take down hostage takers, it’s funny and fun, but there’s this undercurrent of hint of trouble that Paul is dealing with, unbeknownst to anyone.

Anyone can suffer from PTSD.

So I’ve touched on it in the story, in fun ways that show that life isn’t always what’s right in front of you, but sometimes there are hidden fears that make you react to certain situations that might confound others.

Okay off to start the busy day ahead with prizes and such at my site.

I also will be giving away 5 copies of the audiobook through Audible–to lucky commenters on this blog. They are good for US and UK winners. I’m not sure if the codes will work elsewhere. But if you love shapeshifters, romance, the paranormal, wolves, mystery, suspense, action and humor, and enjoy audible books, just tell me why you’d love to listen to this story, and I’ll throw you in the pot for a free copy!

Have a super great day! Mine is on top of the moon because it’s RELEASE DAY!!!

Terry

“Giving new meaning to the term alpha male where fantasy is reality.”

Connect with Terry Spear:

Website: http://www.terryspear.com

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/421434.Terry_Spear

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TerrySpearParanormalRomantics

Twitter: https://twitter.com/TerrySpear

Wilde & Woolly Bears http://www.celticbears.com

Chapters Indigo

Who Said it Was Break Time?

Apr21

Last night when I was at Max’s dog obedience training, the new instructor said to give our dogs a break every time they were through with a phase of training. So one of the ladies took her dog for a bathroom break. But the instructor didn’t mean that kind of a break. He meant to teach the dog that a break meant the dog was done with that phase of training. Now there was a pause between the other dogs finishing theirs and then doing the next training, and that was their “break.”

I told her when she returned with her German shepherd that he didn’t really mean she got to take a break. We laughed.

Max’s nose is to the ground the whole time. So during our breaks–I started to hold him and he loves the cuddle time. And it makes it a real break for him. He watches the other dogs and their owners in their work instead of concentrating on what’s on the ground. Food, dirt, cigarette butts, tons of other trash. And lots and lots and lots of smells. Which means constantly discouraging him, and making him stay by my side, which wears both of us out.

He did really great. Sat, placed, walked, sat, walked, placed, sat. He was very good about it while moving from cot to cot. But when we had to do down, ugh. I really have to work on that. Max doesn’t like lying down unless he’s going to sleep. He’s a sitter. He does great at sitting. I had to entice him with a treat to go down, though I wouldn’t give it to him because he wouldn’t do it on his own. When he did with one command, I gave him the treat. But it’s definitely something I need to work on.

Then there’s me, and a break. I have the proof book for Phantom Fae to read all the way through today. So I’m starting on that in a couple of minutes. But I do better with coming up with a new story if I have a cover. So here’s the new book, when I have time to write it.

I don’t know when I’ll get to it, but last night, just by being able to have a cover, I was able to start coming up with an idea: Not only do the dragon fae have an innate need to hoard gold. So do the Golden Fae. What happens when the two tangle?

I was also thinking about the next vampire book in the Blood Moon series.

No wonder why I’m not getting enough sleep at night. I can’t shut down the part of my mind that is working on story ideas. So in Kiss of the Vampire, I have the Welsh princes fleeing back to Wales after the Dallas League of Vampires wants their heads. Well, they’re in trouble in Wales too, but maybe it’s been enough decades for no one to know or care of the problems they created there.

Nah. Vampires live long lives. Some hold long grudges. This is Stasio’s story. He is the historian of the bunch, loving all things historical, and everyone gets on him about living in the past. Their past. Humans don’t know the vampires exist. And the vampires keep a low profile. Most of them do. But that’s what gets these princes into so much trouble. If they see humans in trouble, they can’t help but want to aid the good, and defeat the bad when they are supposed to let the humans deal with their own issues on their own.

Now they have a witch among them, strictly American, yet they had to take her with them because of the problems they created on a spring break cruise.

They have no idea how this is all going to play out when they run into something they’d never heard of before, never knew about–a huntress who is determined to eliminate their kind.

Kiss of the Vampire

(Blood Moon Series, Book 1)

Category: Fiction » Young adult or teen » Romance » Fantasy

The motto of the vampires is that humans have to deal with problems on their own. But when Levka and his friends risk all to save human girls, he is injured and so the adventure begins. A cruise. A human girl who is terrified of water. And a vampire who has targeted her for his mate. But she has some secrets of her own.

Forced to take a cruise ship to babysit her foster sister, Caitlin has to face her own demons. But add to that her foster sister’s and her friend’s antics and Caitlin’s inability to use her witch’s magic over water and she has little hope to enjoy this trip. Until she meets a wheelchair-bound teen and wants to make friends with him in the worst way.

Levka and his friends make a hasty retreat from Dallas before the vampire elders stake them for getting involved in human affairs–again. But when he meets Caitlin on the cruise ship, hating that he’s so weak after being injured so severely that he has to use a wheelchair, he finds their troubles have just begun.

But for now, it’s back to proofing Phantom Fae! 🙂

Have a lovely Tuesday!!!

Terry

“Giving new meaning to the term alpha male where fantasy is reality.”

Connect with Terry Spear: Website: http://www.terryspear.com

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/421434.Terry_Spear

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TerrySpearParanormalRomantics

Twitter: https://twitter.com/TerrySpear

Wilde & Woolly Bears http://www.celticbears.com

When Finishing One Goal is Impossible…

Apr17

Switch to another. Really. Do it. Don’t say, okay, do a little happy dance, because you can’t accomplish the one goal in just that instant, or pull out your hair… jump on another goal you need to accomplish! You’ll feel better. Really. You’ll get something else done.

Can you tell I’m a workaholic? Well, and have so many deadlines. If I didn’t, I’d goof off more. Maybe.

Late yesterday afternoon I was near the end of proofing Phantom Fae. I was soooooooo close to the end. I wanted to finish it and send it off to the narrator so she could update it. I wanted to be able to relisten to the changes and approve it, pay her, and have another project hanging over my head–finished, done, completed. Because I have a stack of other projects I HAVE to get done. Soon. On deadline.

So what does it do? Storms. Thunder. Lightning. Pouring rain. The works. My computer kept flickering on and off, but I was so desperate to finish. I finally finished, went to send her the final changes, no Internet.

Okay, so that’s fine. I have 8 bears stacked up waiting for me to work on them. Though I was multi-tasking when I was listening to the audiobooks, jointing, then stuffing bears at the same time.

But I still had a ton of work to do on them. Still do. But they’re getting closer to being done. This morning, still trying to get the one book finished up to approve. The narrator hasn’t pressed a button to allow me to approve it yet. The other is DONE. And this morning, I’m working on marketing materials for one of the books I need to write. Still clueless about the other, but I’m making some headway on this one. 🙂 But wait, what color was Everett’s eyes and hair? And will the missing cub be a female or male? Always the questions.

Have a terrific TGIF!!!

I’m off to have some more fun with goals. What about you?

Oh, and news!!!! For the first time ever, two of my wolf books are going into audio! Can’t wait!!!

AND, now Dragon Fae and Hawk Fae are in audiobooks!

http://www.audible.com/pd/Teens/Hawk-Fae-Audiobook/B00W66GNAM

Dragons love to hoard.

http://www.audible.com/pd/Teens/Dragon-Fae-Audiobook/B00VIXPMXS

Okay, Phantom Fae approved, paid for and done. Now it has to go into review and then it will be ready for sale!

AND, The Highlander is on sale for 99 cents for a very short time!!

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00FWG9F8A/ref=cm_sw_r_fa_dp_JMcmvb0XDP3AE

Okay, REALLY back to work! 🙂 <3

Terry “Giving new meaning to the term alpha male where fantasy is reality.”

Connect with Terry Spear: Website: http://www.terryspear.com

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/421434.Terry_Spear

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TerrySpearParanormalRomantics

Twitter: https://twitter.com/TerrySpear

Wilde & Woolly Bears http://www.celticbears.com

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"Giving new meaning to the term alpha male where fantasy IS reality."

Tag Archive | audiobooks

Passed My Portfolio–Onward and Upward!

How to Choose Who Wins

Deadline Nightmare

Having a Morning and a Half

Audiobooks–Cougar’s Mate–Love Them!

Need a Do-Over Day?

Garlic growing in the fridge planted in the planter, bunny ears flower, pouring rain with another wild thunderstorm, Heart of the Wolf in audiobook! and Billionaire Wolf for Christmas–coming October.

Evolution of Audible Covers–by the Publisher

SEAL Wolf Hunting is OUT!!!

Who Said it Was Break Time?

Kiss of the Vampire

When Finishing One Goal is Impossible…