Glamour magazine, Redbook, the Philadelphia Inquirer. She is a logophile and a bibliovore and a worrier about the world. Trained as a medievalist, she tries to shoehorn the language of Beowulf into things that don’t really need it. She currently lives in New York with her husband, two sons and a long line of dead plants. No one will let her have a pet. Visit her at https://www.mariavale.com/.
As a writer, I hear each of my characters in my head. They talk to me as well as to each other. I know that sounds odd, but ask any writer, and you’ll hear the same thing (no pun intended). So, when it comes time for my novels to be made into audiobooks, I’m always nervous about the performer. Will he/she be able to fully embody each of my characters? Will my characters sound as I had always imagined them? Will the performer’s words bring the listener to my exotic locations, and also to the heart of the novel and characters? Will the performer connect with my sense of humor, flair for the dramatic, plot twists and turns, and expertly handle the shocking twist ending of the story?
That was my dilemma when I set about finding the perfect performers for the audiobook versions of my popular Jana Lane mystery novels. If you aren’t a Jana Lane fan (and you should be!), Jana Lane was the biggest child movie star ever until she was attacked on the studio lot at eighteen years old. In PAPER DOLL, Jana at thirty-eight lives with her family in a mansion in picturesque Hudson Valley, New York. Her flashbacks from the past become murder attempts in her future. Jana ventures back to Hollywood, which helps her uncover a web of secrets about everyone she loves and solve a murder. I was incredibly fortunate to find Charissa Clark Howe, a gifted actress, to beautifully perform the audiobook of PAPER DOLL.
In the second novel, PORCELAIN DOLL, Jana makes a comeback film and uncovers who is being murdered on the set and why. Her heart is set aflutter by her incredibly gorgeous romantic co-star, America’s heartthrob Jason Adonis. The other suspects include Jana’s James Dean type young co-star, her older John Wayne type co-star, her children’s Eve Harrington type nanny, the film’s gossipy makeup and hair artist, a local reverend trying to stop the film’s production, and Jason’s agent. For the new audiobook, I hit the jackpot with Derick Snow, an actor with a great deal of murder mystery acting experience. He not only connected with the mystery, humor, and mood of the novel, but also beautifully created the multitude of captivating and entertaining characters in Jana’s life in book two. Wouldn’t you know it? His versions of the characters sounded just like the voices in my head! Derick’s dramatic voice, crisp diction, and emotional availability perfectly bring the characters and story to life. His intensity is perfect for the many plot twists and turns, dropped clues and red herrings, sweet romance, and shocking yet gratifying ending.
You’ll love these two audiobooks. If you can’t wait to hear the next three novels in the series, SATIN DOLL, CHINA DOLL, and RAG DOLL are available as e-books and paperbacks now.
So, grab your popcorn and take your front row seat. Listen to the Jana Lane mystery, PORCELAIN DOLL, performed by the wonderful Derick Snow. Lights up! Action on mystery, humor, romance, and lots of surprises!
Bestselling author Joe Cosentino won Divine Magazine’s awards for best mystery novel, best humorous novel, and best contemporary novel of 2015. He is the author of the Jana Lane mysteries: Paper Doll, Porcelain Doll, Satin Doll, China Doll and Rag Doll (The Wild Rose Press); the Nicky and Noah mysteries: Drama Queen, Drama Muscle, Drama Cruise (Lethe Press), Drama Luau, Drama Detective; the Cozzi Cove beach series: Cozzi Cove: Bouncing Back, Cozzi Cove: Moving Forward, Cozzi Cove: Stepping Out, Cozzi Cove: New Beginnings (NineStar Press); and the romance novellas: In My Heart/An Infatuation & A Shooting Star, the Bobby and Paolo Holiday Stories: A Home for the Holidays and The Perfect Gift, and The Naked Prince and Other Tales from Fairyland (Dreamspinner Press). As an actor, he has appeared in principal roles in film, television, and theatre opposite stars such as Bruce Willis, Rosie O’Donnell, Nathan Lane, Holland Taylor, and Jason Robards. Joe is currently Head of the Department/Professor at a college in upstate New York, and is happily married.