I need your help to reach my dreams!

It’s been a long time since I’ve written a blog post. I honestly wasn’t getting enough traffic to justify writing them, but I thought to start again, it would be a good idea to announce my newest endeavor.

I’ve written a story for the boxset Faeted Mates. It’s a set of stories all related to the fae and them finding their fated mates. Or as the title suggests, FAEted mates. Cute, right?

I know what most people think about trying to get USA Today's bestseller with boxsets. For example, it’s cheating. I disagree because this has been a massive endeavor for EVERY author included in the boxset. It’s a ton of hardworking. And we don’t have a huge publishing company to help us. It’s just us, a group of authors working hard to meet our dreams.

And we need YOUR help. Because every preorder we get pushes us closer to reaching the goal. Help us reach our goal and preorder today and receive a collection of fae-inspired novels for only 0.99 cents.

This has been a lifelong dream of mine and I’m working as hard as possible to reach it! I’m not giving up anytime soon!

Rite Of Wands Audiobook By Mackenzie Flohr

Author: Mackenzie Flohr

Narrator: Chris Walker-Thomson

Length: 6 hours and 57 minutes

Series: The Rite of Wands, Book 1

Publisher: BHC Press

Released: Sep. 24, 2018

Genre: YA Fantasy

One boy…one Rite… And a world of deadly secrets that could change the course of history—forever. And so begins the tale of Mierta McKinnon. When a horrible fate reveals itself during his Rite of Wands ceremony, he must find a way to change not only his destiny but also the land of Iverna’s. Forbidden from revealing the future he foresees to anyone, he is granted a wand and his magical powers, but still must master the realm of magic in order to save himself and those he loves. But Mierta is not the only one with secrets…especially when it’s impossible to know who to trust.
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Mackenzie is a multi-award-winning author of the YA Fantasy series The Rite of Wands, published by BHC Press, which has caught the attention of Doctor Who and Harry Potter fans worldwide. Readers agree that Mackenzie has crafted a robust tale of secrets, mystery, and uncertain destiny that rivals the works of Tolkien, Lewis, and Rowling. A storyteller at heart, she loves to inspire the imagination. Mackenzie makes her home in Mount Morris, Michigan, where she is currently penning her next adventure.
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Narrator Bio Chris Walker-Thomson is a versatile British actor, voice artist and impressionist based in Chelmsford, Essex. He is most known for his highly-acclaimed portrayal of Doctor Who actor Patrick Troughton in various productions - as well as being a well-established character actor. Chris is also an exceptional impressionist, voice over artist and comedy performer.
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  • The Rite of Wands Audiobook by Mackenzie Flohr Narrated by Chris Walker Thomas 4 Stars
  • Have you ever wondered what it would be like if you were able to become a warlock or witch? In Rite of Wands, by Makenzie Flohr the journey is one you will take right along with the main character Mierta McKinnon and the soothsayer Orlynd O’Brien. The writing in this book transferred beautifully into audio. The narrator was able to create each character in a way that really brought them to life. The world building in this audio book drew me in from the very start.
    Narration:
  • The narrator did an excellent job of bringing to life the story. His various different dialects and use of tone and dictation to show differences in characters really brought each one to life. This is my first time listening to the narrator and I am looking forward to hearing him do other books as well. The emphasis put into the words to convey the character’s emotional response and understanding was perfectly timed in use of speech rhythm and proper us of each pause and inflection of his words. It was easy to feel like I was hearing the actual words from each character. I was impressed with the way he handled the two-different character’s Mierta McKinnon and the soothsayer Orlynd O’Brien. Even with the very different dialects, you couldn’t tell it was the same person. The narrator, Chris Walker Thomas did use different high and low tones for the different tone pitches. The female voices were a bit awkward sounding but it didn’t take away from the story.
    Production:
  • The production of the book was great. The background sounds such as music trumpets and so forth, felt somewhat distracting at times but everything else was well put together. The audio sounded great. Not at any point changing from anything other than crisp and clear.
    Overall Experience:
  • I liked listening to the book in audio but it wasn’t my favorite book to listen to as an audio format. I think that there was so much switching around of dates and characters, that at times it was hard to follow, and easy to quickly lose your attention. The book is an amazing read and Makenzie Flohr is a wonderful painter of worlds with words, but the book was a harder digestion as an audio version. However, despite this, it was interesting to hear the main characters reactions in someone else’s voice. Sometimes, we need to hear the words as they are meant to be heard by the author to fully grasp what is needed to really know about the struggle and journey of the characters. I would in the future look forward to listening to more books read by the narrator Chris Walker Thomas and written by Makenzie Flohr. I give the book, Rite of Wands, four stars. -Author Trish Beninato I received this audiobook as part of my participation in a blog tour with Audiobookworm Promotions. The tour is being sponsored by Mackenzie Flohr. The gifting of this audiobook did not affect my opinion of it.
    Q&A with Author Mackenzie Flohr
    • Tell us about the process of turning your book into an audiobook.
      • It wasn’t easy, believe me! In fact, if anybody would have told me I would go through 3 narrators before finally getting the whole thing recorded, I would have probably thought “yeah, right”. Normally making audiobooks isn’t difficult at all, but my project, you could say was...unique. However, it has opened up some wonderful opportunities to appear at Comic Con and various writing conferences to teach others about the process of making an audiobook and especially, what not to do (because I probably did them all!)
    • Was a possible audiobook recording something you were conscious of while writing?
      • Oh, absolutely! My ultimate goal is to have The Rite of Wands series become either a movie trilogy or a television show (preferably done by HBO or the BBC), so I definitely had the idea of an audiobook in the back of my mind when I was writing the first book.
    • How did you select your narrator?
      • When I was auditioning various actors, I wanted someone who could do an impression of Matt Smith (11th Doctor/Doctor Who, Prince Philip/The Crown) since my MC was written for him, as well as someone who could read/perform Scottish dialect. I was fortunate to come across two actors, who are the best Matt Smith impressionists on the planet, and one of them was available and approached ME after hearing about my project through Doctor Who Online.
    • How closely did you work with your narrator before and during the recording process? Did you give them any pronunciation tips or special insight into the characters?
      • I was very fortunate to be able to work as close as I was with Chris, considering he lives in England and I’m in America. I do have a day job where I work as a manager at a call center, but I also wanted to be available for him as much as I could. Not only so I could answer any questions he may have, but also because I honestly wanted the opportunity to get to know him a bit on a personal level, so I could get an idea of how it was best to get the project completed as smoothly as possible. (I can be overwhelming sometimes because I am so direct). I did provide him a character sheet with descriptions of the characters as well as a language guide. But as some of my spells don’t necessarily follow the mother language they came from, I had to occasionally provide some extra pronunciation help.
    • Were there any real life inspirations behind your writing?
      • Yes. As I mentioned above, I wrote the main character (Mierta McKinnon) for Matt Smith. There are personality characteristics of the character, which are similar to him, as well as some inside jokes, too. Other than that, there are some key elements Matt has stated he’d like to play in a character, and I’ll admit I did give Mierta some of those, with more to come!
    • Are you an audiobook listener? What about the audiobook format appeals to you?
      • Audio dramas. When I have listened to audiobooks in the past, the narrator has been so monotone, I’ve honestly fallen asleep. But then I got introduced to Big Finish Productions, and my love for audiobooks regenerated.
    • Is there a particular part of this story that you feel is more resonating in the audiobook performance than in the book format?
      • Yes, there’s a particular scene between two characters where one of the characters is near death, and the reaction of the second character just comes through as heartbreaking. I actually started crying the first time I heard it performed, which is strange for me because I’ve never cried at my own words before!
    • Do you have any tips for authors going through the process of turning their books into audiobooks?
      • Know what your budget is, determine where you want your audiobook distributed to, and, if you decide to do the 50% royalty share option with ACX, make sure that narrator actually honors the terms of the contract.
    • What’s next for you?
      • I’m currently finishing up my first draft of The Rite of Abnegation, which is the second book in The Rite of Wands series. Then, I’ll be working on a standalone novel called The Burning Man, which will be perfect for YA ghost hunting readers.
    Dream Cast
    Author MACKENZIE FLOHR's Dream Cast for The Rite of Wands
    • Jacob Dudman/Matt Smith as Mierta McKinnon
    • David Tennant as Orlynd O’Brien
    • Tom Hiddleston as Lochlann McKinnon
    • Lily James as Queen Anya
    • Tom Felton or Toby Regbo as King Deor
    Music Playlist Giveaway

    Prize: 3-Month Audible Subscription

    The Rite of Wands Giveaway: 3-month Audible subscription Nov. 27th: Dab of Darkness Book Reviews Lynn's Romance Enthusiasm Nov. 28th: From the Heart of a Bibliophile Lair Nov. 29th: T's Stuff Nov. 30th: The Book Junkie Reads . . . CLCannon.net Author Tiki Kos Dec. 1st: Jazzy Book Reviews Turning Another Page Burning Out the Masses Trish Beninato Books Dec. 2nd: TwintypeBooks Just Books Penticoff Dec. 3rd: Lilly's Book World The Book Addict's Reviews What Is That Book About T. Moore

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  • April showers Bring May Flowers

    April Showers bring May Flowers!

        I will always be a fall lover, but May is one of my favorite months. It’s is just as beautiful and not yet as hot. Well at least it wasn’t in Colorado! Now we live in a much warmer climate. Which is why I am writing this blog! I apologize that I had to take an elongated break from writing, blogging and social media in order to move across the country. I miss Colorado but I LOVE excitement and adventure. And new places mean new adventures. So, instead of hiking the mountains and writing, I’ll be walking the beach and hiding in the shade as I write in the sand!

         As a result of this new change I am a bit behind on finishing book three but will have it finished and published by the end of Summer or beginning of Fall. I am also planning a new paranormal series in the YA book genre and have hopes to also start a NA series soon as well. But I will be slowing production down a bit. Instead of publishing 3-4 books a year, I am only going to publish two. Mostly because I need to work on other things too include making my content exactly what you need and crave so that I bring you stories you can’t wait to pick. And can’t seem to put down once you do. But I am not quitting any time soon. I love writing and will be bringing you more stories to fill your kindles and shelves. The ideas in my head are endless!

                But I know you want books to hold you over! I will be continuing to send out Newsletter but I am reducing them to once a month unless there is a release of one of my books. Then it will increase. I will continue to send you discounts on great books you will enjoy and awesome giveaways. I will be hosting even more on my Facebook page and Twitter so make sure to follow me there as well. Feel free to contact me at any time. I love hearing from my fans! In the meantime, if you love really good vampire stories (where they don’t sparkle), I have one for you. My friend Tiki Kos has a new book out and I highly recommend it to anyone who loves a good vampire romance. It’s called Merc Brown and you can purchase it here for only 0.99 cents.

    Happy reading and Until next time,

    Trish

    January Ramblings

    Hello my lovelies!

         December came and went and now it’s already mid-way into January. I can’t believe how the time has flown. This year has been a crazy, albeit exciting journey. I finished my first full length novel, published and then finished and have set Awoken: The Jewel Trilogy book 2 to release THIS Friday. Book 3 is almost complete as well and will release early summer. I have plans set and mapped for a new series about witches and the fae. I think you will love it.

         Other news, I know I briefly mentioned before we (my family and I) are moving. We are leaving the place we’ve called home for the past five years and are moving to Georgia. Which so happens to be one of my favorite states. And where my new novel series is set. It’s bitter sweet to leave though because I’ve fallen in love with the state of Colorado and its unique beauty, but I am an adventure junkie and am excited to see what awaits me around the next corner. And close to the beach, yay!! I will be investing in tons of sunscreen because I’m ginger but the prospect of writing in the sand as the waves crash into the shore, makes me happy.

        As some of you know my books are written in various places. Over the summer I would hike up trails with beautiful views and then write. Now, due to the chill in the air I’ve been hiking on a treadmill and then slapping the words down after. But I honestly think beauty in words and art are derived from and inspired by the splendor that is naturally made around us.

        So, that is where things are at. I’m going to have another wonderful busy year and I look forward to expanding to do book signings and a few comic conventions (that I already frequent as it is). But I need my loyal readers help! I need you to tell me what you thought of my first two books. Did you like them? What did you think would have made it better? You can let me know one of two ways. You can leave a review on Amazon here. Or you can email me at trishbeninatoauthor@gmail.com. I want to hear your thoughts, because I want to bring you stories that you love. I am always improving. Have a wonderful month! And don't miss out on awoken's release on January 19, 2017! Buy it here.

     

    Until next time,

    Trish

        

     

    Top Ten Book Addictions

    Hey ya’ll,

                It’s blog time. I had to recently think about and write down my top ten addictions for an amazing blogger and editor who spent hours upon hours of fixing my hot mess of a manuscript. Only, I thought she meant fiction addictions! I thought it would be a perfect thing to share with you all as well. One of the selections is not young adult, I will admit, but I have hug fiction crush on one of the characters. The Faefever is not for the young, at all its very mature content, but I love Jerricho Barrons enough to include it. And I think Dani is my all-time favorite characters as well.

                As for the rest of my selection, I have been vigorously, well as vigorous as I have time too, reading young adult novels that are similar in nature to my own books. I love mythology retellings, anything Fantasy and I’m digging all the new fairytale twists. Every once in a while, I’ll even pick up a vampire series. There were so many I loved it was hard to decide. And trust me it might even change down the road!

                I want to discuss my top three; starting with the Runes series by Ednah Walter. I actually found this book at my local library and fell in love. Torin and Raine have a relationship that makes you want to read more and the Norse mythology made it even more interesting. Ednah is an amazing writer and she is definitely on my list of authors I one day want to be like. Her writing is literally that good. Her first book of the series is even for free right now! I’ll link it below.

                The immortal Descendants by April White was another page turning that had me on the edge of my seat with each new book. This one was a time travel series and had a different take on special abilities such as shapeshifting and vampires. Saira’s personality and toughness had me wishing I was like her. And Archer’s devotion made me really wish I was like her. April white did a splendid job creating a world of action, suspense and high stakes that made me crave the next book. I highly recommend it!

                Lastly, the Gatekeeper’s Daughter and Descent are a close tie. They were both very good Greek mythological retellings. I put Gatekeepers daughter first because the story between the two main characters, Therese and Thanos seemed like a real relationship with very real issues. Well, for the most part. I mean we can’t all be gods! But I really enjoyed it. I read it after I wrote Acceptance and realized Eva Pohler and I used similar characters. Although, my book is wrapped around some Greek and some Egyptian mythology and hers is just Greek. She did a excellent job on building her story. I liked how she introduced new Greek characters and wrapped them into the story. As for Descent by L.A Starkey she made me throughout the book fall in love with the two brothers in her books as well. I found myself feeling for the character because I was in my head going, “Damn, girl who are going to choose?” The story did end a little abruptly and it left me wanting to know more, but it was still a great story, that is on my top faves and I highly, highly recommend picking it up!!  

                The rest if you feel the need to pick up some new literature I give them thumbs up as well.

    I will provide links to my top 4 below if you are interested in purchasing!

     

    Top ten addictions

    1. Runes series by Ednah Walters

    2. Immortal Descendants by April white

    3. Gatekeepers Daughter by Eva Pohler

    4. Descent by L.A Starkey

    5. The Legend of the Blue Eyes by Kristin McMichael

    6. The Immortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare

    7. The Giver by Lois Lowry (always my favorite time of the school year)

    8. Sand Runner by Vera Brooks

    9.(On the adult side) Fae Fever by Karen Marie Moning

    10. Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

     

    Until next time,

    Trish

    After writing this blog, Ednah Walter’s passed away. She was truly an inspiration to us other authors and I am truly sad that the world has lost such an amazing writer. Ednah yo

    Writing Playlist

         I thought I would share my writing playlist. If you’ve read my books, then you know I like strong females. And although one of my stories, the heroine is saved by a guy she realizes she loves, for the most part my characters do not need saving, and even at times do the saving. I like kick ass females, what can I say! So, I compiled a list of songs that get me in the mood for some badass girl power. Check out my playlist below and if you have any suggestion to add, let me know!

    1.     River by Bishop Briggs

    2.     O.D.D by Hey Violet

    3.     Oath by Cher Loyd

    4.     I Love It by Icona Pop

    5.     Run the World by Beyonce (Duh)

    6.     Closer by Tegan and Sarah

    7.     Malibu Miley Cyrus

    8.     The Greatest by Sia

    9.     Born This Way Lady Gaga

    10.  That’s My Girl Fifth Harmony

    11.  True Disaster by Tove Lo

    12.  Sorry Not Sorry Demi Lovato

    13.  Good Life Sweet California

     

    My Writing Process

         I always get stumped when others ask me, what is your writing process? Why? Because honestly, I’m not sure I have a process. I sometimes feel more like someone who just has this crazy idea out of nowhere that drives me crazy. It could be just that I wish they would make a story like this and then my crazy imagination goes off on a tangent of the main character would be perfect like this and so on. And then the story kind of tells itself. At least until I finish it, then I go back and make magic happen. I say magic, but what I really mean is tons of un-fun editing.

         Stories, in written form always have come easy for me. Since I was a little girl, I would fall asleep to a story that I dreamed up inside my head or I would sneak a light in the night as I finished a new book obsession. I would like to say I always wanted to be a writer, but that’s not true. I wanted to an artist and a teacher. It wasn’t until I decided to start putting the stories that were in my head down on paper and bravely had someone read- and they didn’t hate it, that I finally found my passion. This was finally the creative outlet I had been searching for.

        For those of us that are creative, it’s almost like a need. I have to create, I have to make things- stories, or paintings. Otherwise, I am would probably go crazy! Or maybe I am and I don’t realize it. Either way that was how I found my love of writing. All of the beauty I hind inside my head began to stream out onto my computer as if there was finally a sigh of relief. I have found what I truly was meant to do in this life.

        So, no I don’t have a particular style. I follow the story and the characters journey. I record it, and I let them reveal to me what they want as the story unfolds. Then I go back and make it something people want to read. Hopefully, people actually like. So far so good. I do in my stories prefer strong female leads. I lean towards my stories having a romance in the story, but at the same time I don’t want my characters to be reliant on their love interest in the thank you for saving me with your love kind of way. I like my female characters to just choose love, and maybe even save the guy for once. I also like to find out what my readers like and try to write (using also the things I love) and try to incorporate them into my writing.

        If you read my first book, Acceptance you will notice that they all have super natural powers they have to learn to use and come to terms with. Sometimes their powers even create tragic events unintentionally. The reason for this is I am a huge fan of Marvel. Since I was a child and before it was cool to be a comic nerd, I was toting around Marvel, DC and Top Cow comics. My most prized possessions are a Wizard signed by Chris Claremont and my photo with Stan Lee. I’m still fangirl-in' all over it.

                Yet, we can’t be successful floating around on a whim with our fan girl (or boy) loves and sheer luck. So, I have for the production of book three incorporated a lot of Derek Murphy’s tips for writing from his Dot Plot, which can be found on his website creativindie.com. And I think it is helping to focus the book more and leading up to a nice epic battle, that even I’m looking forward to! But the characters in my crazy head are still driving the bus and at times scaring the shit out of me in the process! I’ll let you be the judge of if it ends well. J

    August Updates

    Writing update!

    Hey ya’ll,

        I hope you are having an amazing day. It is a lovely day here in Colorado. The sun is shining and it is cool out but not yet nippy. So, here are some updates and progress that is happening for Trish Beninato Books. First, if you haven’t already signed up for my newsletter click on the subscribe link and subscribe. You will then receive all updates on new books, giveaways and exclusive content only for my readers!

    Want to receive advanced copies of future books, see the covers before anyone else and have exclusive content and giveaways that are just for you? Sign up for my street team! Here.

    Acceptance released August 15th and in the first week, it received two, 5-star reviews! I am indeed grateful. If you haven’t picked up your copy of Acceptance you can at the link below. I hope you love it. If you already love the book and are craving more. I have good news there is a short story compilation that all my subscribers receive. These short stories have many of the minor characters in it and paint a story you don’t get to see from Jewel’s perspective. It’s called Activated.

    Are you dying for book two of the series? Well, I just finished it and am now reviewing the rough draft for content and preparing to send to my beta readers. After that my amazing editor, Nicole Hewitt will show me what needs to be better. As of right now, the tentative release date is November. A good book takes a little bit of time, but before you know it, it will be in your hands!

    Did you know that leaving a review really helps out indie authors? Our sales and whether or not people decide to buy our books relies solely on our reviews good and bad! So, if you have time drop by Amazon and leave a quick review! Good deeds never go unnoticed.  :D

    Thank you so much for dropping by!

    Until next time,

    Trish

     

    The Journey

    Sometimes I wonder how other authors become inspired to write. For me it starts as a small little idea of something I like or a story I wish had been told and then the characters just present themselves and start talking to me. I know what you are thinking, sounds crazy right? Well- maybe. But crazy makes for a great story.

                      Then I just start writing. And the writing turns into something magical. It’s as if when I write the scenes in my head they are playing like a movie. With Jewel in Acceptance I could hear her hesitation or confusion, even her fear. I let the characters go where thy wanted and tell their story and that is what Jewel and Anubis did. I’ve enjoyed being the storyteller.

                      I started writing while working my day job. I would show up a little early just to get a few paragraphs in and stay later for a few more. With three kids, a husband that was always gone due to work and a full-time job, it was tough, but I realized this was something I truly loved to do. So, I just did it.

                      I hope you all enjoy my first book as much as I enjoyed writing it and please sign up for our newsletter to keep up to date on new releases, giveaways and more. And if you read Acceptance and liked it, feel free to leave a review or comment here on my page. 

     

     

    Trish Beninato