Women’s Fiction Audiobook Author Karen Rose Smith

I welcome Karen Rose Smith to my blog today. Karen is a romance/mystery/women’s fiction writer who has seen over 80 books published and 14 audiobooks produced.

What was it like hearing your books narrated as an audiobook?
It was a wonderful experience hearing them come alive like a play being performed. When I began, I expected to use female narrators. But I ended up using as many male narrators as female.

What was the most rewarding part of the production process? Was there anything surprising?
The most rewarding part of the process was listening to the finished product and have it move me emotionally. The only surprising factor was how long the audio process took. I listened to most of the books three times.

What would you tell someone who has never tried listening to an audiobook? Why are audiobooks a good alternative to print or e-books?
In my case, my eyes are the problem. I have fibromyalgia which affects them. But I still want to enjoy the written word. Audiobooks make that possible as well as making the characters come even more alive than in print.

There is a lot of writing involved before authors get to the point where their books are ready to be produced as audiobook. Here are a few questions about the writing process:
Do you outline your books or wing it? Describe your process.
I heavily plot my books. That enables me to write more smoothly and faster. But because of the fibromyalgia, I use a tape recorder. Then a typist transcribes the tapes and I work with the hard copy until I’m satisfied. Reading on paper is easier on my eyes than the computer. My husband is my virtual assistant and puts all my editing changes into the computer.

What genre(s) do you write in? Why?
I’ve written romance for twenty years. But now I’ve moved into women’s fiction with HER SISTER and a mystery series. I write romance because relationships fascinate me and I like to write about the hope happily ever after brings. I write women’s fiction to delve into families. And I write mystery because I like the challenge of weaving a puzzle.

How much research was involved in writing your books? How did you go about it?
For Her Sister, I researched kidnapped children, the Adam Walsh case, and everything else involved in that even though it was a small part of Her Sister. I used print books, Internet info and consulted with a police officer who’d done undercover work. I researched antiques for Amanda’s antique shop. For the geographical area as well as character backgrounds, I pulled on my experience.

Retail Links for Her Sister:
Amazon
Audible
iTunes

How much of you is in the books you write? In what ways?
My heart is in every book in some way. In Her Sister, Clare and Amanda are moms and I could pull on all those motherly emotions to write their innermost feelings.

What is your latest audiobook about? Who is the narrator?
My latest is a romance—April’s Promise. Johnny Peppers is my narrator and he did a beautiful job with it. He was really Gabe. It’s about a couple who were once in love. But April left and Gabe married her sister. But before April’s sister died, she confided a secret to April that could destroy Gabe’s relationship with his daughter.

Retail Links for April’s Promise:
Amazon
Audible
iTunes

Tell us about your hero or heroine in this book. Give us one of his/her strengths and one of his/her weaknesses.
April is a loyal woman who wants to do the right thing. Gabe is an honorable man who never stopped loving April. He is a fabulous father and dedicated to his daughter.

What other audiobooks have you written?
Nathan’s Vow
Jake’s Bride
Always Devoted
Always Her Cowboy
Cassidy’s Cowboy
Kit and Kisses
When Mom Meets Dad
Falling For Her Boss
Toys and Baby Wishes
Ribbons and Rainbows
Wish on the Moon
A Man Worth Loving

For more about Karen Rose Smith, visit her websites (http://www.karenrosesmith.com/ and http://www.karenrosesmithmysteries.com/) and follow her on Twitter and on Facebook.

Stop by Stacy’s audiobook page for her audiobook reads and visit her Audiobook Corner for links to narrator and author interviews. Follow the Incredible Indie Authors Audio page on Facebook and Pinterest to discover audiobook news from Stacy, Karen and many more authors.

Stacy Juba

Stacy Juba has written sweet and sassy chick lit novels, mysteries about determined women sleuths, and entertaining books for young adults and children. Her books include the Storybook Valley chick lit series and the Hockey Rivals young adult sports novels.

Stacy is also a freelance developmental editor and online course creator. Sign up for her free masterclass, How to Create Your Editing Game Plan. 

Stop by her other websites and blogs: Shortcuts for Writers and Hockey Rivals.

stacyjuba.com/blog/