A Big Thanks

As my first attempt at a podcast comes to a temporary end, I want to thank some people who helped make my podcast a success. Any problems with the podcast are entirely my fault, and my number two goal is to improve the quality of Too Dark to Read. (My number one goal is to entertain you with good stories.)

Thank you, Jennie Skillen, for reading Amelia’s diary. I sprung this on her while she was staying at my house and she didn’t hesitate to put on the microphone. She is a teacher, like Amelia was, and I think she did a great job of bring Amelia’s thoughts to life. Many thanks.

A double thank you to Claire Skillen. She is the voice of my intro and outro. The podcast class I took said that the intro and outro voice should be someone different than the podcaster. I had the entire Skillen family record my intro, but Claire had the perfect voice. When I asked her to then record my outro she gamely did so. Thanks so much for helping me out.

My music came from a free website, www.opsound.org, and is recorded by Orquesta Arrecife. I felt it had just the right amount of mystery and jazz. I could never afford to pay for an original song, or even the rights to a pre-existing song, so it is wonderful that bands are willing to put their music out there for public use.

A big thanks goes to my husband. He was often home when I recorded (I record in my office) and was very good about tiptoeing around, and not making a ton of noise. He said we should have a party since I finished recording my first book, but I think I’ll get let him cook me dinner. Thank you, honey, for all the support, even when you think I am doing weird things.

And last, but certainly not least, I thank you, my listeners. Podcasting is an odd medium. I talk into a microphone while looking at a wall and several days later you listen to my words. I can’t see you, so I get no sense of how you are reacting. Hopefully you are enjoying yourself and some of the comments I have received confirm this, but for all I know, no one is listening at all. So for everyone who is listening, thank you. I’d love to know what you think so feel free to leave a comment.

More stories are on their way, but I felt that this was a good time to thank everyone.  Enjoy!

The End Has Arrived (Chapter 28 and the Epilogue)

The end is here! You can listen to Episodes 32 and 33 by clicking on the links below, going to the Episodes page, or subscribing to Too Dark to Read in iTunes. I hope you find the ending satisfying. I admit that I was a little sad when I listened to the last episode this morning. It seemed like I would never get to this point when I started, but it all happened so fast.

Even though Answers in the Ashes is complete, Too Dark to Read will continue. When I started this podcast I wanted to read more than just one book. That is why the podcast has a different name than the book I was reading. It was confusing to some, but I hope it is understandable now. When I was researching similar podcasts I found the podcasts shared the title of the book being read. That seemed to limiting to me. I want to narrate lots of books and with Too Dark to Read I can.

So what is the future of my podcast going to look like? Between now and January I am going to record three short stories for your enjoyment. They will all come out on Mondays. I’ll blog about it here, so you’ll know something new is up. If you stay subscribed in iTunes you’ll get it automatically.

In January, if I work my butt off and get the editing done, Mattie and Jackson will come back in book 2. The story is done, but the editing is not. I will be very busy between now and then.

So, stay tuned. More great stories are coming your way. And thank you for listening. I can’t be successful without all of you. Enjoy!

Episode 32 – Answers in the Ashes, Chapter 28
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Episode 33 – Answers in the Ashes, Epilogue
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Two Episodes and a Survey

Chapter 26 and 27 are live. Find them by clicking on the links below, going to the Episodes page, or subscribing on iTunes. Thanks for listening all this time.

I really want to know what you think about my podcast. It is the first time I have dived into this medium, and I want to improve, so I need your input. Please click on the following link https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/M866JKC and take my survey. It has five questions. I appreciate your honesty.

Answers in the Ashes will be over never Friday, but Too Dark to Read is only beginning. Together we can make it special. Enjoy!

Episode 30 – Answers in the Ashes, Chapter 26
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Episode 31 – Answers in the Ashes, Chapter 27
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Too Dark To Read Opinion Poll

I am almost to the end of Answers in the Ashes. Creating Too Dark to Read has been an amazing project, but I’m not sure where to go from here. I want to do what will make you, the listener, happy. To find that out I have created an opinion poll with Survey Monkey. (It’s my first one ever!) I would appreciate it if you would click on the link below and honestly rate Too Dark to Read. It has five multiple choice questions and will help me choose a direction for this podcast.

Thank you for being a loyal listener and thank you ahead of time for taking the poll.

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/M866JKC

Chapter 24 and 25 are live (and so are our heroes)

Episodes 28 and 29 are available for listening. Connect using the links at the bottom of this post, clicking on the correct link on the Episodes page, or by subscribing to iTunes. I promise I don’t try to kill Mattie or Jackson in these chapters. I make no promises about future chapters.

There are very few chapters left. I thought the book had thirty chapters, but it turns out that it only has 28 chapters and an epilogue. Chapter 25 went live today, so in two weeks Answers in the Ashes will be over and you’ll know who the dastardly arsonist/murderer is. (Have you figured it out yet?)

Book 2 is not ready for prime time yet, (it is finished, but it needs loads of editing) so I will be looking for input from my listeners on what to do next. I’ve never made an online survey before, but I think this is the perfect place for one. I’ll put it up on the next blog post. I may read a short story once a month, or try to read non-copywrited stories. Or I may go silent until the second Mattie Garrets/Jackson Pierce mystery is ready. I haven’t decided yet.

I hope you have enjoyed this podcast and my story. I certainly enjoyed the process of creating a podcast. It is not as easy as it may seem, and yet not that difficult either. It simply takes time and commitment. I am in awe of podcasters who do a daily podcast, or have done a podcast for several years. Perhaps someday someone will be in awe of my longevity. I guess I better get editing. Enjoy!

Episode 28 – Answers in the Ashes, Chapter 24
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Episode 29 – Answers in the Ashes, Chapter 25
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Find More Danger in Chapter 22 and 23

Episodes 26 and 27 are available for listening. Check them out with the links below, on my Episodes page and on iTunes. I especially like chapter 23. It took a long time to stage the scene. I hope you enjoy the suspense.

Episode 26 – Answers in the Ashes, Chapter 22

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Episode 27 – Answers in the Ashes, Chapter 23

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Chapter 20 and 21 are ready for listening

Episode 24 and 25 (chapters 20 and 21) are live. You can find them below, on the Episodes page, and on iTunes. I like that the episode and chapter numbers are not just spread apart, but they are even or odd at the same time. I probably go on about these numbers too much, but I find it easier to remember where I am since this is 25 and 21 as opposed to 26 and 21. Maybe I just like my numbers to be symmetrical. Moving on.

Thank you to the listeners who reached out and commented on my podcast. I love knowing you are listening. I received another 5 star review and a nice message about my opening comments on iTunes. Two ratings and reviews doesn’t get the iTunes algorithms excited, but it is a start. If you would like to rate and review Too Dark to Read on iTunes go to your iTunes account, search for Too Dark to Read, and add a review. Your opinion makes a huge difference to my standing in iTunes.

I also got a comment on my last blog post. I read and respond to every post so feel free to write me. This listener didn’t like Cory, and thought he was one-dimensional. He doesn’t show up in Answers in the Ashes any more so I can’t do anything about him now, but he is an important character in book two so I will work on fleshing him out.

Thanks for all the feedback. We’ve started the last third of the book, but the end is not near. More danger is on the way.

Enjoy!

Episode 24 – Answers in the Ashes, Chapter 20
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Episode 25 – Answers in the Ashes, Chapter 21
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Chapter 18 and 19 are Explosive

Episodes 22 and 23 are live. Find them at the bottom of this post, on the Episodes page, or on iTunes. I’m not kidding when I say they are explosive. Jackson experiences more than one blow up.

It is common knowledge that there are primary characters, secondary characters, and tertiary characters. The trick is to make the secondary characters as real as the primary characters. Troy is one of the characters that borders the line between primary and secondary. He was the second character introduced in the book, and some of the people in my critique group thought he was going to be Mattie’s love interest. (Only time will tell, but certainly NOT in book one.) The more I write his character the more I realize that he is going to be important to the world I am building. I don’t know how, but he will never be less than a secondary character and will always be an important part of Mattie and Jackson’s lives. Since he is a cop that could be both good and bad.

Episode 22 – Answers in the Ashes, Chapter 18
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Episode 23 – Answers in the Ashes, Chapter 19
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Episode 20 and 21 – Home Sweet Home

Yup. Part 2 of chapter 16 and chapter 17 are live. Find them on the links below, on the Episodes page, or on iTunes. I titled this post “Home Sweet Home” because it is true, the New York adventure is over. We won’t know how Jackson feels until the next episode, but it is safe to say that Mattie is thrilled to be home.

As some of you know I have been bothered by the fact that my episode numbers are different from my chapter numbers. This happened because Episode 1 is an introduction to Too Dark to Read, so chapter 1 of the book is Episode 2. Some listeners said it was confusing and I had to create a chart so I didn’t get confused myself. When I started splitting chapters into two episodes the numbers got even farther apart. This turned out to be a good thing. Chapter 17 is Episode 21. I don’t find that confusing at all. Hopefully you don’t either. If I do book 2 then the episode numbers will be nowhere close to the chapter numbers. So, problem solved. Enjoy!

Episode 20 – Answers in the Ashes, Chapter 16 (part 2)
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Episode 21 – Answers in the Ashes, Chapter 17
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Fun in New York City – Episodes 18 and 19

Chapter 15 (part 2) and Chapter 16 (part 1) are live. Links are below, on the Episodes page, or on iTunes. I have enjoyed joining Mattie and Jackson as they wandered around New York City. When I wrote this story in 1999 I had spend almost no time in New York City. I don’t know why I had them visiting so many different places except that it sounded like fun.

When I visited New York City in 2013 one of my many goals was to visit all five boroughs. I stayed in Brooklyn and spend most of my days in Manhattan, but I did get to see Queens, the Bronx, and Staten Island. When I went back and read my story I realized that if I hadn’t already had them spend time in different boroughs I would have added it. People may call the area New York City but each borough has its own fingerprint, with varied architecture and culture. I doubt I did the city justice, but I know that I will have Mattie and Jackson returning to New York someday. Enjoy!

Episode 18 – Answers in the Ashes, Chapter 15 (part 2)
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Episode 19 – Answers in the Ashes, Chapter 16 (part 1)
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