Author: David Stever
Narrator: Bill Lord
Length: 7 hours 20 minutes
Series: The Delarosa Series, Book 1
Publisher: Cinder Path Press, LLC
Released: Oct. 24, 2019
Genre: Modern Detective
MY REVIEW...
First thing that catches your interest about this story is
the character, Johnny Delarosa. He’s a neat ex-cop, Private Investigator, that has his
office in the back of a bar and a condo on the floor above. This is just the
kind of P.I. I like. Tough and growly now and then, with a heart way too soft
for his own good.
This is almost a noir mystery. Reminds me of Humphrey Bogart films.
Delarosa accidently saves a young woman. Sort of being in the right place at
the right time and plenty brave enough to help. Katie soon shows up determined
to work for him. He argues and argues but Katie just doesn’t seem to budge. Owning
a bar with his retired partner and holding his interviews at a back booth
really sets the scene. Just perfect.
Excellent characters, good mystery with twists and turns.
I think the author’s descriptive writing and good dialog
handling put these scenes in my mind, but I felt the narrator helped with this
too. Being able to see, to picture in my mind, makes a big difference in my
enjoyment of reading. I think David Stever is definitely a writer who can
create these scenes in our head but I also think this narrator made those pictures
even more vivid.
This is Book 1 of a series titled “The Delarosa series”.
I received this audiobook as part of my participation in a blog tour with Audiobookworm Promotions. The tour is being sponsored by Bill Lord. All opinions are definitely my own.
Welcome to Port City!
Private investigator Johnny Delarosa has seen it all. First as a cop, and now as a private eye. Cheating spouses, embezzlements, and insurance scams are routine. But he meets his match when the alluring, auburn-haired Claire Dixon walks into his bar/office and drops a $20,000 retainer in his lap. She wants the hard-drinking Johnny to find $2 million that was stolen from her mobster family 30 years earlier. But $2 million can be motivating. Old mobsters come out of witness protection to claim their share, and when bodies begin to pile up, and his sexy, enigmatic client disappears, Johnny is taken on the ride of his life; an Auburn Ride. With a wink and a nod to the hard-boiled private eyes of the pulp noir past, the gritty streets of Port City set the stage for author David Stever's first thriller in the Delarosa series.
He is a member of the Private Eye Writers of America, the International Thriller Writers, and the Maryland Writers Association. Originally from Tyrone, Pennsylvania, he lives in Columbia, Maryland with his wife and family. Please visit www.davidstever.com and be sure to sign the mailing list for news and updates!
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Bill Lord has been an entertainer since 1983 when he began a nearly 20-year career as a professional wiseguy on rock and pop radio. After radio, his love of storytelling drew him into the world of acting and audiobook narration. It was a transition that began his exploration of connecting with an author's truth on a deeply emotional level, while bringing each of their character's reality to life with an authentic voice.
When Bill narrates a story, he transforms the written word into a multidimensional aural experience that makes you lose all sense of time and what is going on around you. He transports the listener to faraway realms or perhaps across the galaxy, until the world around you is supplanted by the flickering movie screen of your own imagination.
In addition to reading books for major publishers, and indie authors and publishers, Bill is a former coach of Edge Studio's Investigate Voiceover classes in Washington, D.C., and an occasional cast member with The Lake of the Woods Players. When he’s not on stage or in the booth narrating, you can find cruising the lake on his pontoon boat (in Orange County, VA) while enjoying a Manhattan with his beautiful wife, Joya.
Bill Lord is an Audible Approved Producer. Visit Nothing Rhymes with Orange Studio’s website for more information.
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Q&A with Author David Stever
- Was a possible audiobook recording something you were conscious of while writing?
- No it wasn’t. I concentrated on the story I wanted to tell. However, I am also a screenwriter and that background comes out in my writing. I think the book is very visual which also helps with audiobook narration.
- How did you select your narrator?
- I used the audition process within ACX. I first posted a chapter and narrators responded with their auditions. I did not choose any from the first round of auditions. I then listened to audition tapes on ACX, and invited about five authors to audition. I chose Bill Lord from that round of auditions and got very lucky because he is a perfect fit for the story and he does a great job!
- How do you manage to avoid burn-out? What do you do to maintain your enthusiasm for writing?
- Maybe I am fortunate, but I do not suffer from any burn-out. I can’t wait to get back to the story to see what is going to happen!
- If you had the power to time travel, would you use it? If yes, when and where would you go?
- Yes, I would use it and I would go back to the late 40s or early 50s when a lot of great writers were cranking out pulp novels. Plus it was the beginning of the film noir period in Hollywood. I love the noir genre and my books have been called noir for the 21st century.
- What bits of advice would you give to aspiring authors?
- To keep writing. Even if you think what you’ve written is bad, just keep going. Try to write every day if you can. Like anything else, you only get better by writing as much as you can. And finish - once you have a completed manuscript, or screenplay, you then have a completed product you can market. Even though may still need to edit and rewrite, you have accomplished what you started and that feels good!
- Do you have any tips for authors going through the process of turning their books into audiobooks?
- Be patient, take your time and audition as many narrators that you need until you find the one you want. Also, listen to their work to help you make a decision.
- What’s next for you?
- I am writing the third book in the Johnny Delarosa series and I also just completed a screenplay for a production company who is going to pitch it to Hallmark. So I might have a Hallmark movie in my future!
Author David Stever's Casting Picks
- Johnny Delarosa: Tom Hanks
- Katie: Sally Field (as Gidget)
- Mike McNally: Tom Selleck
- Special Agent Ortiz: Rosie Perez
- Special Agent Quade: Thomas Gibson (Aaron Hotchner from Criminal Minds)
- George Ainsley: Wallace Shawn
- Eric Eichenberg: Keanu Reeves (in the Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure days)
- Leah Love: Halle Berry
- Mary Anne Bellamy: Jennifer Lawrence
- Brynne Middleton: Gwyneth Paltrow
View the full 14-day schedule here!
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