Audiobooks continue to surge in popularity, with listeners craving everything from epic fantasy sagas to meditation guides, soothingly narrated in their ears. Traditionally, creating these audiobooks required actual voice actors to record themselves reading page after page - often exhausting work requiring days sequestered in studio booths, reading copy, editing out clicks and other errata, costing authors a LOT of money. Now, Ai voice cloning is shaking up that process.

I was invited to Amazon/KDP’s beta program to supply content for free to The Audible Plus Library (unlimited listening that uses Virtual Voice). I jumped at the chance. I used two (of the offered eight) Virtual Voice narrators for several (okay, sixteen) of my books. I matched the tone and genre of the story with the pitch and inflection of the VV narrator. I carefully curated every word in the books, correcting pronunciation, adding pauses, and slowing down or speeding up the VV’s speech to match the mood of the story. Was I satisfied? You betcha!

The earthy, masculine voice I chose for the Arlie Undercover series was a great match, even better than using my own voice. I used ‘his’ voice for Too Fast For You, The Polar Xpress, Three Are One, and That Twin Thing romantic suspense series, too.

For my romantic comedies, I went with a female British voice. I liked ‘her’ sprite inflection more than any of the others. Check out samples of The Purebred and the Mutt and The Wizard of Odds and let me know what you think.

I’m waiting to use my own voice, professionally cloned by Eleven Labs, for The Fairies Saga books. To do that, I need to produce three hours of cleaned-up narration files for them to plug into their algorithms so they can create a clone. My cloned narrator will not only match my pitch and tone but will also incorporate the inflection and pacing I use when speaking. I want to use it for Triplets: Three Aren’t One series, too. However, production costs for Ai Voice audiobooks are still high. Converting doc to MP3 files when charged by the character is spendy. Plus, I will still have to listen to around two MILLION words of text, making sure my clone pronounces every word correctly before I release it. Are there enough hours in the day? I think so. And the great thing is even if I get laryngitis, once my cloned voice is created, I can narrate for hours and hours!

For more info on getting the most out of the new unlimited listening program by Audible (Amazon), check out: https://www.audible.com/mk/l/lto (limited-time offer ends January 16, 2024).

If you want more Holiday Romance, check this out. It's the only place you'll find my latest book
KINKY BOOTS AND ME.

Sasquatch or Bigfoot: a Pacific Northwest Favorite

Bigfoot is also known as Sasquatch – an Anglicization of the name Sasq’ets from the Halq’emeylem language spoken by First Nations peoples in southwestern British Columbia. It is a cryptid (your three-dollar word for the day), that is, a creature reported to exist but without hard physical evidence that it does. 

For centuries, encounters with this tall, hairy humanoid have occurred in the Pacific Northwest, capturing the imagination of locals and visitors alike. Eyewitnesses describe the creature as a massive, bipedal ape-like being, covered in dark brown or reddish hair with heights well over six feet tall and with an unforgettable ‘stench’ or aroma. Low-arched footprints up to twenty-four inches long and with five toes have been found in areas Bigfoot are said to inhabit.They have a lumbering gait but can move extremely fast when needed according to the stories.

Hotspots for Bigfoot activity include the remote wilderness areas of Northern California, Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia. The large expanses of forest with sparse human populations provide ideal habitation for these elusive creatures said to shun human contact.

Sasquatch tales date back to Native American oral and ‘pictograph’ history.  Tribes like the Yokut, Lummi, and Skagit spoke of giant hairy men inhabiting the woods. They regarded the ‘wild men of the woods’ as a distinct species, neither human nor animal. Cliffs adorned with Native American pictographs were discovered in California. These depicted tall, apelike figures, providing possible hand-drawn images of sasquatches made centuries ago. 

When European settlers arrived in the Pacific Northwest and California in the 19th century, they also told of spotting huge man-beasts while exploring the mountainous area. One of the earliest documented sasquatch sightings was reported in 1811 near what is now the town of Bluff Creek, California. The reports continued through the 19th and 20th centuries, stories of loud vocalizations heard, and giant footprints found deep in the forests of the Pacific Northwest.

A surge of interest into Bigfoot came in the 1970s when the famous Patterson-Gimlin film emerged, claiming to show actual footage of Bigfoot walking through the California woods. The film shot in 1967 appears to show a female Bigfoot walking through a clearing. Debate continues over its authenticity.

The encounter reports persist. Whether glimpses of Bigfoot, hearing strange calls, finding footprints, or smelling a unique and pungent scent, something is out there. Is it an undiscovered primate species or a living piece of legend? Conclusive proof remains lacking, but the truth is out there somewhere. In the meantime, Oregon locals have fun with the Bigfoot experience. Special events, statues and pictures, books, and more bring people together to discuss their own experiences. There is even a fantastic museum devoted to Bigfoot in Oregon. Among other items of interest, they have recreated the Sasquatch ‘scent’ for visitors to sample. Visit https://northamericanbigfootcenter.com/ for more information.

I’ve never seen a Bigfoot, but I love the inspiration he provides. I created calendars this year to help fund the local feral cat T-F-R (Trap, Fix, and Return) program. Oregon’s Furry Feral Friends Calendar was created with a mix of many different Artificial Intelligence programs. After all, I didn’t have a lifetime to sit in the forest, waiting for a Sasquatch to come by and pose for me! 

If you want to contribute to our local effort to humanely decrease feral cat populations, consider buying a 2024 Calendar with 13 awesome Bigfoot and feral cat images. $20 for the calendar and $3.50 postage to USA, $6.50 to Canada. Email me at dani@danihaviland.com to order yours.

Busy in the Garden

 It’s been a long time since I’ve reached out. It is the height of growing season here in the Willamette Valley, after all.

I wanted to share a few of the flowers I’ve been encouraging. Yeah, I'm passionate about colors. My yard has so many! 

Here are some of my pretties. Do you grow any of these where you live?

Big Brother Lily, Gaillardia, Hydrangea, Hummingbird Vine

How about roses? I have SCORES of roses! Here are some from today's bloom fest:

Butterscotch, Green Ice, Paintbox, Sweet Revenge, Judy Shaw

We also grow fruit and veggies. I volunteer at the local food bank on Fridays. With all the cucumbers I grow, I have a ready outlet. When the tomatoes come on, I'll have a wide variety to share, too.

Mini yellow watermelons growing with cucumbers, one of five peaches (they usually don't grow here), and a 'sprig' of my own variety of apples: Early Pinkie. They may look like crab apples but besides being sweet, they're already mature! I started these from seed from a Fuji (I think) apple ten years ago. Yum!

My husband has been a tremendous help. He’s set up drippers and sprayers on existing beds and planters, and then built more and reclaimed a few that were overgrown. Plywood packing boxes and plastic fish totes have been repurposed into truly raised beds. No stooping to weed or harvest veggies (no flowers in these except early daffodils).

Those beams above my 6'2" husband are the supports for the watering system. I told him all that was missing were lights...so he put up some colorful, effect-changing solar-powered ones. What an awesome sight/site in the evening!

So, that's why I haven't been writing. That doesn't mean you can't catch up on reading, though. If you haven't read all the series in The Haviland Universe, one from each series is on #99cents Sale. 

Here are the images I created with #MidJourney of the characters from the following books. Thanks, @MattVidPro for all the tutorials!

The Midwife’s Son (That Twin Thing series), 

Crazy Ladies in Capes Debut (Arlie Undercover series), 

BigMac (The Fairies Saga series), 

and They Call Me Sherlock (Triplets: Three Aren’t One series). 

If you aren't already, please follow me on BookBub, Goodreads, and Amazon (and Twitter - @dani_haviland).

Remember to leave a starry, written review! It's the fuel that keeps authors writing!

Springtime and LOVE!

SWEET AND SASSY: 

Those words sent chills up my arms when we were searching for a title for a new series of romance books five years ago. 

SASSY?

Yup, that's how I see myself and my readers.

Definitely not SO-SO or OBEDIENT! 

That's not us and NOT the kind of romance we're interested in! 

So, Sweet and Sassy: The Best Kind of Romance was named and ready to launch

Over a dozen themed box sets in the SWEET AND SASSY series have come and gone. This groundbreaker is the oldest and getting ready for retirement, too. Grab it for your Kindle Unlimited Library or buy at #Kindle #CountdownDeal price of only #99cents (until March 29).

Here are the short blurbs and authors in this oldie but goodie collection of romance stories:

BIG GIRLS DON’T CRY, by Mimi Barbour, NY Times and USA Today Bestselling Author: Big girls don't cry because no one is listening.

HEAL MY HEART, by Mona Risk, NY Times and USA Today Bestselling Author: With the help of a baby girl and four little boys, a handsome doctor may teach her the true meaning of love.

TURNAGAIN LOVE, by Nancy Radke, USA Today Bestselling Author: Can she love a man who keeps trying to get her to go away?

MEND ME MEND MY HEART, by Suzanne Jenkins, USA Today Bestselling Author: Dating again has never crossed Charlotte's mind, until she takes a fall at the cemetery where her husband is buried bringing the handsome caretaker to her rescue.

SUMMER LOVIN’, by Jacquie Biggar, USA Today Bestselling Author: Can two mismatched lovers find a way past their mistakes?

A KISS UPON A STAR, by Tamara Ferguson, USA Today Bestselling Author: When fate gives Tim and Emily a second chance, can an air force veteran break through the hardened heart of a rising star?

THE MONARCH AND THE MOM, by Leanne Banks, NY Times and USA Today Bestselling Author: A mix-up in the lab means the father of Sophie's baby is a prince. Can they turn this royal surprise into a forever love?

TOMBOY BRIDE, by Alicia Street, USA Today Bestselling Author: Will he ever see her as a grown woman?

NEVER TOO YOUNG, by Dani Haviland, USA Today Bestselling Author: Their secret marriage was strong enough to withstand deceptions and ruffians, but would time do them in?

 

BUY now before it goes Bye-Bye!

 

Where's your inspiration?

 I couldn't help myself. 

I looked for images of a 40-ish female mechanic for my promo memes but couldn't find one online.

There was one, however, in my photo stash.

Yup, that's me in the photo above. I wasn't a mechanic, but I was 40 at the time, working in a heavy equipment repair shop. I was the parts expediter and broom pusher. Actually, I had to challenge the male mechanics for the last task. By the end of the day, I was eager to spring from that creaky chair, away from my telephone tether (phones were corded in those days).

The Mustang in my story is familiar, too. My friend owned a '64 1/2 convertible just like the one in the meme. Even in the 80s, its sleek baby-blue surface was irresistible, like a Hot Wheels that had grown up. It was perfect for my story.

The male love interest was inspired by a 'real' foxy silver-haired British car enthusiast. If you've ever watched Amazon Prime's Grand Tour or BBC's Top Gear, you know him as the man with The North Wind hairstylist. After the tickle of inspiration provided by James May, my William took literary form.

I created a vast Eden for my couple, called it Forever, Montana, then let the muse in. The story begins with his life almost ending with the fiery crash of his beloved 1964 1/2 Mustang.

Was William rescued by an Alien or an Angel?

Who is the Purebred and who is the Mutt?

And what's with the skunk on the cover?

Check out THE PUREBRED AND THE MUTT as a single on December 29. Available now as part of CUTE BUT CRAZY: QUIRKY CAREERS, the fourth book in the Chill Out! Books / Authors' Billboard Romantic Comedy series.

If you can read this, be grateful for a multitude of blessings. First and foremost is you have the gift of sight. Even if you wear glasses, contacts, or had corrective surgery, you can distinguish dark and light on a very detailed level.

Second, give thanks for electronics. You could break that down to the device (smartphone or computer), information sharing system (wi-fi, cable, or telephone wire), and good ol’ electricity to power that digital screen that flashes the words in front of your eyes. Yup, more than one gift in that one.

Third, thank your teacher. Whether you attended public or private school or learned from a parent, sibling, or friend, be grateful they spent time encouraging you. You were – and are – worth it.

Right now, I want to share my experience with the first one: the gift of sight. When my grandmother saw me as a newborn, she said, “What big, beautiful eyes. She’s going to be nearsighted.” She was right. Lasik  – my first two surgeries – corrected it, though. I was very happy for years not having to buy glasses or contacts.

Surgeries three and four were for cataracts. Those surgeries were not nearly as successful. I guess the ophthalmologist didn’t calculate (guess) the right strength of the implanted lenses, I was back to glasses.

Vision degradation was ongoing and for no reason other than old age. I had a macular pucker that was tugging and distorting my retina, the ‘projector screen’ at the back of my eye. I needed a new prescription twice a year. Images seen with my right eye were ten to fifteen percent bigger than my left. That translated as double vision to my brain. Prismatic lenses helped but didn't cure the problem.

I had been seeing a retina specialist for five years, having check-ups on its progress or healing. Nope, it wasn’t fixing itself. The doctor decided it was time for surgery.

My fifth eye surgery was last week: vitrectomy and membranectomy. I’ll look like a pirate for at least a few more days. Here’s hoping my ‘double-vision’ will go away and I can write more soon!

Note: That's how much my hair has grown in one year from my traditional 'Pixie cut.' I'm responsible/to blame for the goofy bangs.

While you're waiting for my next book, start a series or two or three, depending on how busy you are. Short of time? Check out a second chance romance single. Both ONE ARCTIC SUMMER (based in Barrow, Alaska) and A PLATE OF CHRISTMAS COOKIES (a quicker read, based in southeastern Arizona) are feel-good romances.

Read on and remember to count your blessings every day.   Dani
 

Is your life a tragedy or comedy?

Sometimes life seems a Greek tragedy, not worth pursuing. And then your child gives you a big hug or you get a whiff of fresh coffee and cinnamon roll and can’t wait to live another minute.

Authors try to short cut life experiences for everyone, including themselves. Finding words to make your tummy rumble or thighs tingle works for us, too. The passion of storytelling keeps us going.

I think I’ve heard it from at least a dozen other authors: I write what I want to read. Sometimes we write for a contract or obligation, too, but we always put a bit of us in a story. That heroine who moves from the desert because of her hay fever is at least a part of me. That she’s plump, achy, and in her sixties, wishing she was young and trim again is not just me but I’m pretty sure at least a dozen others out there. (Naked in theWinter Wind). Okay, hundreds of others, but you know what I mean. We want to live vicariously through people strong and more vibrant than ourselves.

No need to raises hands, but how many of us have made mistakes? I’ve never been strung out on drugs and shot anyone, but if I had, I’d want a way out (That Twin Thing series). By creating scenarios, giving my characters the chance to right a wrong, I’m purging and/or offering them a chance at redemption.

Looking for excitement? Passion, danger, and life on the lam. She was only eighteen, but was life worth living? She was a mess, but why was this doctor so intent on helping her? (Adult content). The Set Up, first book in Triplets: Three Aren't One multi-genre series.

Save a few minutes a day to read a great book. 

Pass the Pandemic hours in other countries, living other people’s lives in lands either strange or familiar to you. Get those tingles while enjoying a real cup of coffee or tea. We may not have the time or resources to be world travelers, but we can have the experiences.

Read on, World!