We’re so pleased to have author Leta Blake joining us today on the audiobook tour for Training Season (love Matty and Rob!), narrated by the talented Michael Ferraiuolo. She’s talking about choosing the right book and matching that book with the right voice talent, and she’s also offering a giveaway, so be sure to check out the Rafflecopter widget below for details.
Welcome, Leta!
I’m excited to be back at The Novel Approach! I’ve been a guest on the blog many times during the last four years, but never so often as I have been lately. I’m grateful for the endlessly welcoming arms of Lisa and her blog mates. Thank you for this opportunity to talk about my first ever audiobook release, Training Season, with amazing narration by the talented Michael Ferraiuolo.
Training Season, a romance about an effeminate figure skater and a Montanan rancher, was the first full-length novel I ever published. I have a lot of fond memories of its release in December 2013. It should have been obvious from the beginning that I should start my audiobook adventure with Training Season as well, but it wasn’t.
When it came to choosing which book from my backlist should become my first audiobook release, I turned to my Patreon members and asked them for advice—especially since their patronage would be funding whatever was chosen! Initially, nearly everyone agreed that I should pursue the Will & Patrick Wake Up Married serial in audiobook form. But when Michael’s audition for W&P came in, I knew he would not be good for the Wake Up Married serial. However, I also knew he would be perfect for Matty and Rob from Training Season.
My patrons gleefully agreed and we switched course. Now I’m so happy we did! I absolutely love what Michael has done with the story. He’s added so much tenderness and nuance to both characters. At times, when listening in order to approve the audiobook, tears would come to my eyes and I would forget I was the one who wrote the book to begin with! I became caught up in his storytelling and was dying to know how Rob and Matty were going to work it out! LOL
I believe the clip below gives a good introduction to Michael’s wonderful skills. Have a listen and see if you agree with me!
Again, thank you so much to The Novel Approach for hosting me here today. I appreciate the time and effort you put into helping authors and readers promote and locate books! And I’d like to thank my Patreon members one last time for making this audiobook possible with their support.
About the Book
Buy Links: Amazon US | Amazon UK | Audible US | Audible UK | iTunes
Cover: Wicked Smart Design
Narrator: Michael Ferraiuolo
Blurb: Unquestionably talented figure skater Matty Marcus is willing to sacrifice everything for his Olympic dream, but his lack of discipline cost him the gold once before. Now the pressure’s on. He needs a coach who can keep him in line, but top coaches don’t come cheap, and Matty can’t afford to stay in the game no matter how badly he wants to win.
When a lucrative house-sitting gig brings him to rural Montana, Matty does his best to maintain his training regimen. Local residents turn out to be surprisingly tolerant of his flamboyant style, especially handsome young rancher Rob Lovely, who proves to be much more than a cowboy stereotype. Just as Matty requires a firm hand to perform his best on the ice, Rob shows him how strong he can be when he relinquishes control in the bedroom. With new-found self-assurance, he drives himself harder to go straight to the top.
But competition has a timetable, and to achieve his Olympic dream, Matty will have to join his new coach in New York City, leaving Rob behind. Now he must face the ultimate test. Has he truly learned how to win—on and off the ice—during his training season?
From My Review of Training Season ~ the Book
One of the very many things I felt Leta Blake did so right in the evolution of this story, the one thing that I’m always grateful for, is that there were no instant and magical fixes to the many obstacles Matty and Rob faced. The reality of their relationship, and who Matty was as both a man and an athlete, was in the choices he made and how they affected everything else in his life, and those choices ultimately held consequences for which he paid dearly. The emotional balance in Training Season is sublime, ranging from laugh out loud funny to breathtaking heartbreak, sometimes from one paragraph to the next. Not only are Matty and Rob perfectly portrayed (yes, even when Matty’s being a spoiled diva), but all the role players and minor characters in the book are wholly realized, some utterly charming, and each integral to the telling of the story and the development of Matty and Rob as friends, lovers, and individuals.
So, there you have it. Read this book. That’s what it all adds up to in the end. I loved it in pretty much every way it’s possible to love a book and its characters.
About the Author
Author of the bestselling book Smoky Mountain Dreams and the fan favorite Training Season, Leta Blake’s educational and professional background is in psychology and finance, respectively. However, her passion has always been for writing. She enjoys crafting romance stories and exploring the psyches of made up people. At home in the Southern U.S., Leta works hard at achieving balance between her day job, her writing, and her family.
Patreon || Twitter || Facebook || Website
About Michael Ferraiuolo
Locally, nationally and internationally, Michael Ferraiuolo is dedicated to helping artists realize their projects. Through audio recording, production, voice acting, narration, singing and composition it is his goal to provide honest, professional, and practical services to writers, producers, and artists.
With top tier recording capabilities and years of practical experience it is his hope to help writers enhance their project through collaboration and creative exploration.
The Giveaway
a Rafflecopter giveaway
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