Audiobooks are REALLY expensive to make. There’s a ton of work that goes into them, and therefore, for an indie author, they’re often out of reach unless you cut corners/use AI, etc. I didn’t want to take that route, so I didn’t think I’d ever get an audiobook. Or, at least not for a very long time.

But out of the blue, Podium got in touch asking for the audio rights to Heart of the Storm, my latest sapphic romance. To say I was ecstatic, and bemused, is an understatement. The process was easy and the people over there have been really lovely.

The day they sent me the MP3 files and I heard it being read by narrator Anastacia Watley…
I cried. When you’ve published quite a few books, it starts to feel like there aren’t a lot of milestones left (the Booker Prize feels rather out of reach…) There’s no question this was one of them for me. Hearing a professional bring your words to life is something else, truly.

There’s a deeply personal element to this, as well. A couple years ago I developed a neurological condition that makes it hard for me to read anymore. Something I adored and which kept me sane at difficult points in my life was taken away. Audiobooks have truly been a saving grace, and to know I’ve got one out there… It’s pretty damn special, let me tell you.

So. If you like audiobooks too, or even if you’re new to them, I hope you’ll check this one out, and maybe consider leaving a review, because those really do make a difference out in the real world.

Wishing you a lifetime of happy stories.

Ally

Home. What did it mean now? Home was where you lived, but wasn’t it also a feeling of some kind? That’s what all the sappy movies would have people believe.

Heart of the Storm