Thank you Rhys for letting us (Kim Fielding and Venona Keyes) invade your blog to help pimp our new book, Running Blind, which releases on November 7^th!

The main character in the book, Kyle Green, is a voice-over artist, or VOA. He speaks many languages, but Japanese holds a special place in his heart. VOAs bring the local language translation to anime (cartoons), movies, and books. Venona had a chance at GRL to interview two popular VOAs-Greg Tremblay and Joel Leslie. Greg has given voice to many artist’s books, such as Rhys Ford’s Cole McGinnis Investigation Series (among others), Mary Calmes’s Mangrove Series, Alexa Land, Jamie Samms, Cardeno C, Nick Webb, and Kim Fielding to name a few. He was also a resource for us to help mold Kyle into the VOA he is in the book.

Joel Leslie is also a popular VOA, and has brought to life, from book to audio, for such authors as Haley Walsh (Skyler Foxe Series), Kim Fielding, K.C. Wells, N.R. Walker, J.S. Cook, and Grace Duncan.

So, on a sunny Saturday afternoon, we had lunch and discussed books, authors, remedies, life, GRL, small rabid animals, conference attendance, and life in general while we debated over getting dessert and cappuccino. This is an excerpt from our conversation.

Joel: You’re recording this and typing this out?

Venona: Yes I am. You want a copy or be surprised when it’s transcribed onto the blog?

J: I want to be surprised. What is question one?

V: What is the hardest part of your job?

J: I think the hardest part for me, is working with an author that doesn’t listen to audio. Very often, when you get an author that doesn’t do audio, they think it should sound like the way they do their readings. Not to use the word monotone, but it’s uncolored with characterization and individuality.

Greg: It’s a non-dramatized reading.

J: There you go. See, Greg always speaks English better than I do. Which is the reason why we read other people’s words.

(Laughter at the table)

J: It can also be very tricky with writing pairs. They don’t necessarily always agree. So I have a rule to have one person that has the the power of Yes/No, and they (authors) can sort it out between themselves. I’ve done books where the one author wasn’t happy with the first fifteen minutes I recorded of a character which was a character they weren’t even writing. They had written another character, and it was just nuts.

G: Huh. The only one I did with a two author collaboration was for the publisher. So it was the publisher’s decision.

J: The other hardest/scariest part is not having contact with the author in some circumstances and having to do guess work. It’s really stressful because you want to given them (author) what is in their head or as close as you can. That’s my answer.

G: It’s a good one. You brought up a couple of things I hadn’t verbalized. You know, we’re striking the balance between wanting to create an internally consistent and artistically authentic performance that also properly represents an author’s intent. The vast majority of the work we do, I think, we do instinctively, comes very close to the author’s intent with some obvious interpretations. Every now and then, you get an author who writes something one way that does not read that way. That creates a disconnect, and it’s hard to get through. Trying to strike that balance preemptively, and make sure that you’re not simply becoming a recitation machine.

J: That’s right.

G: You’re still an artist bringing in something to the work. And that you’re paying attention to the work.

J: The more they listen to more audio…

G: The better that is because they recognize when you give them good audio, it sounds like good audio. It’s engaging, it has that performance note, and then it’s the feeling of “it’s my story told through good audio”, not “it doesn’t sound the way my story sounds in my head.”

J: When the process works right, especially on series, the author then starts to write with your voice…

G: They do, they do a little bit.

J: I know people said that about Rhys (Ford).

G: I think Cole’s voice changed a little bit to match mine.

J: In the Skylar Foxe series that I do, for instance, there’s a character I voiced a certain way in book one that she (Haley Walsh) loved, but when I was catching up with her in books two and three, she had that same character saying ‘dude’. I was like, the guy we created would never say ‘dude’! She said I know that now that I heard him! We started working together in book six, and the character’s voices have shifted.

G: I love that type of collaboration. It’s like a painting trust exercise. Some one blindfolds themselves and describes something that you painted. Once you become good at that, get a working relationship, you make amazing stuff.

J: I’ve sent Haley joke ideas. It’s a silly series of jokes and they (the characters) make puns on each other’s names. (And I suggest) What if a character says this? Then she says great! I’ll stick that somewhere in the book.

G: You get a sense in your head, when you work with these characters, not only how they sound but of how they talk. You get that feeling you can imagine spontaneous dialogue for those characters in the milieu of how they would say it.

J: The other thing that is the hardest is if they (the authors) never read their book out loud. Because there’s things that get past the editor.

G: Yeah things you don’t expect.

J: For me, it’s repetitious words in a sentence…

G: Billy got up and walked to the window. Billy runs a hand through his hair. Billy turned around…

J: Yeah!

G: And the authors don’t realize they said Billy so many times…

J: Until they read it out loud.

G: Every now and then, you get a note back from an author asking “Can I re-write this section…”

J: (Laughs) Yeah…

G: “…and have you record it again?”

V: That’s funny because on a short story I got back from my editor, she pointed out each sentence for the past two paragraphs started with the character’s name, and to write it differently. I didn’t even realize I was doing it. It’s nice to know when you’re reading it (out loud), you can pause and say, hey wait a minute…

J: I think every author should read their work out loud before sending it to print.

G: Yup.

J: In their own room, by themselves.

G: Maybe before the final proofing—

J: Yeah, yeah!

G: After editing, content editing, streamlining it, read it out loud, fix those things and before you send it for final proofing, so they (editor) find the places you wrote, you know, “He had a hint of condensation in his voice.”

(Laughter)

V: I remember that story!

J: A lot of the MM work that we do with independent writers, Dreamspinner has very good editors, but when you work with independent authors, sometimes the editing is scary.

G: Well, you fall prey, when you’re by yourself, to shortcuts because…

J: You don’t have the financial…

G: You don’t have the financial wherewithal, you’re the chief cook and bottle washer, you get so wrapped up in it sometimes, it doesn’t get what it needs. The proper editing process is there for a reason and it does work. You can get away with somethings that may not fly forever.

Blurb

Kyle Green is on top of the world. He and Matt have been together for ten years, and—as the voice of Ecos, the wildly popular anime character—Kyle is treated like a rock star in anime circles. But in an instant, a stroke leaves him blind. When photographer Matt gets the opportunity of a lifetime, Kyle reexamines their relationship, discovers it has been a safety net rather than a true romance, and sets Matt free to pursue his dream. Kyle’s life and career as he knew them are gone, and he must now find the courage and creativity to draft a new plan.

After being away for fifteen years, Seth Caplan comes home to Chicago to care for his mother and to partner with a small start-up tech company. He and Kyle meet after Kyle’s collision with a child’s sidewalk toy, and they hit it off. Kyle wants to get back into running, and Seth becomes his guide. As they get to know each other, they start seeing each other beyond their three-times-a-week runs. But Seth’s revelation of the dark reason why he left his career in California sends the relationship into a tailspin and leaves both men running blind.

DreamspinnerPress: http://syurl.net/jx5MLt

Amazon: http://alturl.com/7jcr3

Kim Fielding is very pleased every every time someone calls her eclectic. Her books have won Rainbow Awards and span a variety of genres. She has migrated back and forth across the western two-thirds of the United States and currently lives in California, where she long ago ran out of bookshelf space. She’s a university professor who dreams of being able to travel and write full time. She also dreams of having two perfectly behaved children, a husband who isn’t obsessed with football, and a house that cleans itself. Some dreams are more easily obtained than others

You can reach Kim at:

Facebook—http://facebook.com/kfieldingwrites

Twitter—@kfieldingwrites

Website—http://kfieldingwrites.com/

Venona Keyes is a modern woman who believes in doing it all; if doing it all is only in her head. She amazes people that she can be wholly unorganized yet pack a perfect carry on suitcase for a ten day trip to Paris. Ms. Keyes is a believer in the just in time theory, and can be seen sprinting in airports to the gate before the plane door closes.

Venona has experienced love and loss at the deepest level, and is thankful for writing and daydreaming, for it kept, and still keeps her sane. Writing also introduced her to some of the most supportive and wonderful people, to which she will always be grateful.

Venona is a voracious reader, loves her feline boys, volunteers at an animal shelter, attempts to cook everything in her CSA boxes, is an accomplished speaker, is a seasoned triathlete, and enjoys swimming, biking, hiking, skipping, dancing, and her beloved overgrown garden.

You can reach Venona at:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/venona.keyes

Website: http://www.venonakeyes.com/

Rafflecopter Codes and Giveaways!

Make a comment by November 14th and be entered into win a giveaway!

Giveaway #1 – Wordwide

Audio Books, E-Book, and DSP Gift Certificate

3 Audio Books (Treasure, The Downs, and Guarded)

E-book Coming of Age

$20 Dreamspinner Press Gift Certificate

Giveaway #1: Worldwide   a Rafflecopter giveaway

Giveaway #2 – US Only – Manga (Graphic Novels), Audio, and E-Books

Manga:

Traditional Japanese Manga (translated into English):

Borders  Volumes 1-5 by Kazuma Kodaka

American Manga:

Longitudes and Latitudes, Volumes 1 – 3 by True Teargem & Tprinces

American Dōjinshi:

Kindly Assistance (A Sherlock Holmes & John Watson Romance) by Halloween Panda

Audio Books & E-books

3 Audio Books (Treasure, The Downs, and Guarded) E-book Coming of Age

Giveaway #2: USA only     a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Audio Books & E-books

3 Audio Books (Treasure, The Downs, and Guarded)

E-book Coming of Age

Giveaway #3: USA only  a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Stops!

Oct 31 – MM Good Book Reviews – I Fought the Law

Nov 1 – The Novel Approach – Kyle at Yaoi Con Short

Nov 2 – Rhys Ford – VOA Interview with Greg Tremblay and Joel Leslie

Nov 3 – Mary Calmes – Exclusive Excerpt from Running Blind

Nov 4 – DSP Blog – Siblings

Nov 7 – Divine Magazine – Release Day Exclusive Excerpt

Nov 8 – Gay Book Reviews – The Lord and the Amnesiac Rogue

Nov 9 – Kimmer’s Erotic Book Banter – Kyle and Ecos Short

Nov 10 – Love Bytes – Losing Sense

Nov 10 – Tammy’s Two Cents – Universities

Nov 11 – Sinfully Gay – Running

I owe you all a post. I do. I even know what I want to write about but damn, I’m exhausted.

So… remind me to talk about animals and gender. Okay?

Hi, I’m Lou Hoffmann, very glad to be a guest on the blog of Rhys Ford today for the penultimate stop on my tour celebrating the release of Wraith Queen’s Veil, book two in The Sun Child Chronicles. Thanks for the spot, Rhys, and thanks for stopping by, readers.

First, here’s the blurb for my Wraith Queen’s Veil. Read on down the page for today’s tour stop post, all about the Ethran game of Skies.

Wraith Queen’s Veil is book two of The Sun Child Chronicles Series, sequel to Key of Behliseth. In book one, Lucky has been living in California as a homeless teen when a wizard, a warrior, and a truly evil witch draw him into a war for his forgotten home world, Ethra.

When Lucky arrives in Ethra, the world of his birth and destiny, he expects a joyful reunion, but the first thing he notices when he reaches the Sisterhold—his home—is something false behind his mother’s smile. In a matter of weeks, the Sisterhold becomes agitated with worries and war plans. People he trusts—like the wizard Thurlock—frequently can’t be found. His mother seems angry, especially with Lucky. Even Han Shieth, the warrior uncle he has come to rely on and love above all others, maintains a sullen silence toward him.

When Lucky’s resentment builds to the breaking point, his bad decisions put him and his friends, L’Aria and Zhevi, in unthinkable danger. Han arrives to help, but he can’t claim invulnerability to the hazards and evils that threaten at every turn. Events launch Lucky, alone, on a quest for he knows not what, but every step brings him closer to his identity and full strength. Self-knowledge, trust, and strength lead to smarter choices, but even his best efforts might not render his world truly safe, now or for the future.

Find it at Harmony Ink Press and wherever books are sold online.

How to play the Ethran game of Skies:

Have you heard of the game of Skies? If not, it’s because you haven’t been to Ethra, protagonist Lucky’s home world. Here’s a brief excerpt from Wraith Queen’s Veil, where the game is introduced:

Full night had set and snow began falling once more—still light, but driven into spirals by a cantankerous wind. While Lucky hesitated, Zhevi looked out toward the way they’d come and said, “I don’t like this, Luccan. Let’s warm up, maybe eat a bite and have something hot to drink, let the horses rest, and then just head back.”

Lucky cast his eyes down, annoyed but not wanting to show that to Zhevi. He wanted to whine I thought we already had this debate! Instead he said, “It’s night—not the best time for riding, right?”

Zhevi seemed to be losing patience. “You’re right, Luc! Absolutely, it would be better if we didn’t have to ride through the woods on a night that would be pitch-black if it wasn’t for the snow. But I don’t trust this weather and if we stay, it might be worse in daylight tomorrow than in dark tonight.”

Lucky’s brain kept trying to get his attention: He’s right, it whispered. Listen to him! Unfortunately, his stubborn streak seemed to have direct access to his mouth. “Fine. You go on back, Zhev. I’m staying, but if I’m not back in a couple of days, you can come and rescue me.” He shot an insincere grin Zhevi’s way, but he could see by the thin set of Zhevi’s normally full and annoyingly attractive lips, and by the red flush rising on the young man’s neck, that the smile hadn’t fooled him a bit.

Zhevi looked away, shaking his head, and let out a sound that sounded something like a growl. He said nothing more, just pivoted and walked back out of the cave.

Lucky felt his heart race, afraid Zhevi was just going to saddle up and ride away. He really didn’t want to be left out here alone. He knew Zhevi was right. But now that he’d taken that stand, he also knew his pride would force him to stick to it. When he didn’t hear any commotion of horses and tack outside, Lucky dared hope. He stepped out to find Zhevi leaning against the sheer rock outside the cave. Not sure if he should, Lucky went to stand next to him. After a long moment, Zhevi turned his head and looked down at Lucky, lightly smacked his arm, and said, “Gods’ truth, you’re a pain in the ass.”

Lucky felt pretty certain he’d won, and he even thought Zhevi would forgive him. He tried a little more coaxing just for good measure. “It’ll be all right,” he insisted, keeping his voice soft. “We’ll be dry and warm, inside. We’ve got a good place for the horses, and plenty supplies.” Smiling, he produced from an inside pocket of his overtunic a set of well-used cards, each printed with a star, with lines showing how the star should connect with its neighbors to make a constellation. “Look, we can play a couple of games of Skies.”

“You mean I can kick your butt in a game of Skies.”

“If you think so,” Lucky said, but his smile grew a little more sincere. He knew Zhevi loved the game, and at any time he’d have a hard time refusing the chance to play. When Zhevi chuckled and nodded, Lucky thought he’d won, but he kept silent. As he turned to gather the last of the supplies and carry them into the “living room,” as he’d dubbed the main room with the fire pit and comfy nooks, Zhevi stepped out to hang the oiled leather tarp, a rope laid over his shoulder for tying it to tree branches.

“This ought to block the wind,” Zhevi said. “Help keep the worst of the weather off the horses.” But then he turned and gave Lucky an intense, direct look. “I know you’re not going to listen to me, Luc. With this weather, I can’t leave you out here alone. Thurlock would turn me into something slimy, or at the very least Han would skin me alive if I let the Suth Chiell starve out here in the woods thanks to his own ignorance.”

Lucky lowered his gaze, feeling defiance rear its head and not trusting himself to speak. He needed Zhevi, though he didn’t want to admit it. And it angered him that a friend who felt… special, somehow would speak to him that way. Worse than anger, it hurt. Yet when Zhevi handed him a brush, he took it and looked up to meet Zhevi’s gaze.

“Since you’re out there, you might as well take care of Windy.”

In the time it took for Lucky to complete the job, Zhevi finished grooming the other horses, poured oats in three buckets, and sweet-talked the animals until they started eating. Then he cuffed Lucky not too softly on the shoulder. When Lucky turned, hands balled into fists and eyes narrowed, he smiled. “So do you want to fight, or do you want me to thump you good in a game of Skies?”

Lucky and Zhevi gamble on that game of Skies, and a very important decision is made on based on the outcome of that bet. It sets in motion adventures both terrible and wonderful. But that’s not always the case—usually it’s just a fun pastime. Later in the book, for instance Lucky teaches the game to a new friend named Rio, with whom he’s falling in love, and it’s just something to do while spending time together.

The game has no parallel in Ethra’s twin world Earth, which perhaps shouldn’t be surprising given the way the two worlds have moved apart from each other after the split thousands of years ago. But now, the portals are opening! (If you don’t know about that, read book one, Key of Behliseth; there you find out about the events that started the whole mess of people moving more and more freely between worlds.) With Ethrans among us—and some of them obviously keen gamblers—I think it best if we make the game known here. So here are the basics:

52 Skies cards, each divided into four quarters. Each quarter is a piece of one of thirteen constellations. No card has two pieces of the same constellation, but four cards have a “wild” quarter that can be used as a piece of any constellation except K’ormahk (which you more likely know of as Pegasus).

The game is played by collecting Skies cards to build constellations. Each card can be used for up to two constellations. Constellations played to the table (laid down) will count as positive points for the players score at the end of the hand. The value of the constellations varies, but K’ormahk/Pegasus trumps everything. If a player completes that constellation, they win the hand and other players do not score on that hand.

In addition to the Skies cards, the game includes 52 obstacle cards. Clouds, for instance, block one quarter of a card, while storms (only four in the deck) nullify an entire card. If a player draws the sun card (2 in the deck), that person must discard all cards they haven’t yet played, and draw an equal number of new cards.

A third set, 52 action cards, direct a player to pass a Skies card to a neighbor, take one from a neighbor, eliminate a constellation from play, exchange one card from their hand for one from the top of the draw pile, or exchange a card for the last one discarded.

A hand is won when one player empties his hand. The game can be played to a set number of hands, a set winning point score, or for a single hand. In single hand games, if the constellation K’ormahk/Pegasus is made, that player wins.

Here’s an example of a Skies card, using Earth names for constellations, and made from a set of cards called Urania’s Mirror, which was created around 1825 by Sydney Hall, and which are now in the public domain. (The game of Skies however, is my creation, and copyright applies, though it may never matter.)

And there you have it. If you ever want to know how Ethrans spend their game time, now you know. Of course, Lucky also taught them how to play basketball…

That’s it for my post today. The last stop, tomorrow, will be at Rainbow Gold Reviews. The tour has been fun, some facts to learn about the books along the way, some attempted character interviews, etc. If you haven’t been following and you’d like to find out where I visited and what I shared, take a look at this blog post on my Queerly YA blog.

The special super discount code for either Key of Behliseth or Wraith Queen’s Veil or both ends tomorrow: 35% off with code SUNCHILD2 at Harmony Ink or Dreamspinner Press.

Chances to win continue until 10/31! Here’s the Rafflecopter:
a Rafflecopter giveaway
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(Pssst! There’s also a sneaky extra chance to win if you visit my post at Rainbow Gold Reviews tomorrow.)

Thanks again for stopping by. Happy reading!

Ethran Game of Skies copyright Loretta Sylvestre 2016