TEMPERED DREAMS
(Tempered, #2)
by Pamela S. Thibodeaux
Narrator: Terri England
Length: 7 hours 15 minutes
Released: November 18th 2019
Publisher: Pamela S Thibodeaux Enterprises
LLC
Genre: Inspirational Romance
Dr. Scott Hensley (introduced in Tempered Hearts) has built a wall around his heart since the death of his wife and parents. Katrina Simmons is recovering from scars inflicted on her as a battered wife. Can dreams be renewed and faith strengthened? Can they find joy and peace in God’s love and in love for one another?
Tempered Fire, Book #3 in the Tempered series is scheduled for release on audiobook this month.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5yy1R7xlXb0
Award-winning author, Pamela S. Thibodeaux is the Co-Founder and a lifetime member of Bayou Writers Group in Lake Charles, Louisiana. Multi-published in romantic fiction as well as creative non-fiction, her writing has been tagged as, “Inspirational with an Edge!” ™ and reviewed as “steamier and grittier than the typical Christian novel without decreasing the message.” Sign up to receive Pam’s newsletter and get a FREE short story!
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Terri England is a radio personality, podcast host and book narrator. She is the mother of two daughters and one very stubborn (but smart) Doberman named Jackles. She loves music, both stars (Wars & Trek) and is obsessed with the supernatural. In her own words, Terri is “a geek and proud of it.”
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Q&A with Author Pamela S. Thibodeaux
- Tell us about the process of turning your book into an audiobook.
- I’ve enjoyed audio books myself and often wondered how to get mine into this format. Thinking it was expensive or complicated, I put this venture off. One day I read a series of blog posts by Nancy Cohen and thought, “What the heck?” I listed Tempered Hearts and then searched for a narrator, basically followed Nancy’s advice to the letter. Once I found a narrator I could work with, she recorded. I reviewed. She made corrections. I reviewed. I approved then in about 2-3 weeks ACX sent notification the book was available! All in all it’s been a harrowing but exciting venture.
- Do you believe certain types of writing translate better into audiobook format?
- No, I believe any type of book could be in audio format. Well, maybe not a cook book because following a recipe might be difficult. I listen to both fiction and nonfiction books on audio.
- Was a possible audiobook recording something you were conscious of while writing?
- Not at first. My main goal when I wrote my Tempered series was to get published. Print published. Funny, as it happens, Tempered Dreams and Tempered Hearts were both issued as Ebook at first. I took the necessary steps to get them into print. The prospect of audio books just came to me last year (2019).
- How did you select your narrator?
- After I listed Tempered Hearts and searched for a narrator who would take royalty share. Many say they do, but when you talk with them, they want upfront fees. Since that was not an option for me at the time, I kept looking. I found Terri England and listened to a few of her clips then approached her. She accepted my offer and Tempered Hearts was up within a few weeks. Since I loved her presentation, I contacted her about Tempered Dreams. She accepted my offer and we’re now working on book 3, Tempered Fire. I’m pretty sure she’ll do Tempered Joy also after which, I’m hoping to get her to narrate the rest of my books.
- How closely did you work with your narrator before and during the recording process? Did you give them any pronunciation tips or special insight into the characters?
- I hadn’t worked with any narrator before Terri. Yes, we talked a little about dialogue and voice inflection for Tempered Hearts, and of course accent and pronunciation for Tempered Dreams since it is set more in Louisiana than Texas. Over all she did a jam-up job and I’m excited to work with her on books 3 and 4.
- Were there any real life inspirations behind your writing?
- I’ve always loved Bandera, Texas. As a young child of 4 or 5 I would visit with my grandparents their friend whom I called Aunt Ellen. When I started writing Tempered Hearts and decided to set it on a ranch, Bandera seemed the perfect place. In 2010 I went to a romance writers retreat in Bandera and ended up working at the same dude ranch that hosted the retreat off and on for 4 years. Since then I make it a point to return a couple of times each year to visit the many friends I made while living and working there.
- How do you manage to avoid burn-out? What do you do to maintain your enthusiasm for writing?
- Since my husband’s death in 2009, my enthusiasm for writing comes and goes in fits and starts. When I’m really into a story, it’s easy to maintain my momentum. However, I don’t push myself when the story stalls. Burn-out comes from trying to force something that isn’t happening or pushing too hard to make something happen that is not in God’s time. When I feel that coming on, I take a break. I read a lot! I may write something different (blog posts, articles for local magazine, etc) then I pick up the story when I can.
- Are you an audiobook listener? What about the audiobook format appeals to you?
- What I love the most about audiobooks is that I can listen to them when I travel or am too busy to sit and read. As much as I appreciate them, and Ebooks, nothing beats holding a paperback in my hands!
- What do you say to those who view listening to audiobooks as “cheating” or as inferior to “real reading”?
- Any time you are exploring worlds or witnessing the lives of characters in whatever form is a good thing.
- What gets you out of a writing slump? What about a reading slump?
- Reading gets me out of a writing slump. There’s no such thing as a reading slump LOL! Although, I do read mostly in binges.
- What bits of advice would you give to aspiring authors?
- Be teachable, flexible and continue learning, growing and improving your craft. Never give up! Your talent is a gift from God. Don’t bury your talent or hide your gift.
- What’s next for you?
- Tempered Fire is currently in production for audio release and afterward, Tempered Joy. After these two in the series, I want to get my two Women’s Fiction novels, The Visionary and Circles of Fate in audio. I’m also working on Tempered Truth which has eluded me for years but I’m hoping to have it published (or at the very least, finished) this year.
Plugging you into the audio community since 2016.
