Audiobook Tour
Details
Author: Jean M. Grant
Narrators: Caroline Hewitt, Andrew Perkins
Length: 10 hours 32 minutes
Publisher: Jean M. Grant
Released: Mar. 16, 2020
Genre: Women’s Fiction
Living is more than mere survival…
Young widow AJ Sinclair has persevered through much heartache. Has she met her match when the Yellowstone supervolcano erupts, leaving her separated from her youngest son and her brother?
Tens of thousands are dead or missing in a swath of massive destruction. She and her nine-year-old autistic son Will embark on a risky road trip from Maine to the epicenter to find her family. She can’t lose another loved one.
Along the way, they meet Reid Gregory, who travels his own road to perdition looking for his sister. Drawn together by AJ’s fear of driving and Reid’s military and local expertise, their journey to Colorado is fraught with the chaotic aftermath of the eruption.
AJ’s anxiety and faith in humanity are put to the test as she heals her past, accepts her family’s present, and embraces uncertainty as Will and Reid show her a world she had almost forgotten.
Jean has a penchant for the misunderstood be it sharks, microbes, or people (fictional and real). A scientist by training, she now spends her days as an author and champion for her children. She has five published novels in the genres of historical and contemporary romance, and women’s fiction. She also writes for family and travel magazines and websites. When not writing, she enjoys tending to her flower and vegetable gardens, tackling the biggest mountains in New England with her husband, and chilling with her children, while taking snapshots of the world around her and daydreaming about the next story. Find her on jeanmgrant.com.
Author Interview
- Tell us about the process of turning your book into an audiobook.
This was an adventure! I chose to have a younger male voice for 9-year-old Will and an adult female voice for his mother AJ. I recorded through a very professional and amazing Jayme Mattler (director/producer) and she helped me procure two wonderfully talented voice artists. The book was then produced and distributed through ACX/Audible. I’m an avid audiobook listener, so my love for the listened word came through in my selection process. Despite a rockier start and switching narrators, it was a smooth process from beginning to end.
- Were there any real life inspirations behind your writing?
As with all my books, I sprinkle (or douse) elements of my own life into the story. This book was first written as catharsis for me. I threw a lot of my own life into it: AJ’s anxiety, parenting struggles, and her autistic son. I then went through a half-dozen drafts to sculpt the story into AJ’s and not Jean’s. Fact morphed into fiction. AJ came to life.
- If this title were being made into a TV series or movie, who would you cast to play the primary roles?
I love this question because unlike my other books, I really can see this one on the big screen – a cross-country road trip in the wake of a volcanic eruption has big screen appeal (now if I could just find a producer…). I would love to cast Emily Blunt as my protagonist, AJ. For the good samaritan and haunted soul she runs into and who joins her trip (Reid), it is a toss up between Jay Hernandez and Oscar Isaac. For her son Will, I have a visual but no specific child actor in mind.
- What do you say to those who view listening to audiobooks as “cheating” or as inferior to “real reading”?
Nope. It’s not. When you listen, you capture the feeling and nuances of the characters. I can also clearly visualize the setting. You feel their excitement, urgency, frustration. As an author, I catch writerly things like overuse of words or other crutches (I have to shut that inner critic off sometimes). You also might invest more time with listening (for those that are speed-readers). For me, I am committed to that 10-hour book once I get it, and usually listen to it over many sessions (while walking or driving). I tend to give up on reading a written book more easily if I am not digging it, whereas with audio, I see the story through to the end. It holds my attention more. I love audiobooks and they are no less than reading. They also create access to books for those who may struggle with written words (visual impairment, processing, or another challenge).
- How did you celebrate after finishing this novel?
As is my tradition with my book releases, I have cake the morning of! I try to make it themed. For this book, it was molten chocolate lava cake.
- What gets you out of a writing slump? What about a reading slump?
I get into reading slumps a lot. I try new genres, new authors. Listening to an historical cozy mystery with romance now. As for writing slumps, I usually shift projects until I can find my muse again. Start something new. Take a break. Explore a hobby. Sometimes I set a goal, such as the #Nanowrimo this past November, to really push through and finish a book. Some books just need to be put away for a little until I feel invested and emotionally-able again.
- What’s your favorite:
- Food: cheese, Drink: coffee (any flavor, any form)
- Song: Sleepwalk by Santo and Johnny
- Book: Outlander
- Television show: Too many! The Walking Dead, LOST, Gran Hotel, Shetland
- Movie: The Princess Bride
- Band: I like oldies: Patsy Cline, Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash; modern: Ed Sheeran, Moby, Enya, Maroon 5
- Sports team: none!
- City: I am more of a small town gal, so coastal Camden, Maine
- Are any of those things referenced in appearance in your work?
This is the first book I set in Maine…but it’s a road trip book, so AJ and her son Will travel all the way to Colorado. She has a love for coffee like me, though.
- What bits of advice would you give to aspiring authors?
Give it time. I swear by my “3 P’s”. Patience, Perseverance, and Putting in the Time. Like any career, hobby, or passion, it takes time to develop the skills, find the tools, and make the connections. Be ready for rejection and criticism. But also befriend other authors and network! They can be your biggest cheerleaders. And when times get rough, you can call on them and they will be there – virtually or in person – with a cup of coffee and kind words to motivate.
- What’s next for you?
I’m hanging out with a few more contemporary books and taking a break from my historical fiction. One book has a stronger romantic element but it may fall into the women’s fiction category (like this one) or mainstream. Time to edit and then get that one out the door! I also have another mainstream/women’s fiction idea percolating about a woman who has had enough with the world and humanity and has decided to step off the grid and disappear.
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Caroline Hewitt is an actress, audiobook narrator, and adaptor.
Caroline has appeared on television in When You See Us, directed by Ava Duvernay, and The I-Land, on Netflix and New Amsterdam, The Blacklist, and FBI: Most Wanted on NBC. She has appeared on Broadway in Junk and The Front Page. Off Broadway and regional credits include: Lazarus (New York Theatre Workshop, The National Theatre London and DeLaMar Theatre Amsterdam), Tamburlaine the Great (Theater for a New Audience), Against The Hillside and Good Results Are Difficult When Indifference Predominates (Ensemble Studio Theater), and plays at Arena Stage, American Conservatory Theater, Alley Theater, Baltimore Centerstage, Studio Theatre, and Portland Stage, among others.
She has narrated audiobooks for publishers including Penguin Random House, Hachette, Dreamscape, Blackstone, and Audible.
Caroline’s adaptation of Howards End will be produced by the Dorset Theater Festival, and was included on the 2020 Kilroys List.
Caroline majored in French at Vassar College, and holds an Masters in Fine Arts in Acting from American Conservatory Theater.
Website
Andrew V. Perkins is a Los Angeles-based actor, and singer. He is a graduate of the Meisner Conservatory at Elizabeth Mestnik Acting Studio.
Credits include (North) Hollywood, On The Side, None Like Us, the musical You’re A Good Man Charlie Brown, Why Him, Denny’s, Realtor.com, the NBC Universal Actor’s Showcase, and other various short films.
When he is not on stage or in front of the camera, Andrew is a VIP Studio Tour Guide at Universal Studios; where he has to provide entertainment for guests as they visit the Studio. Andrew also studies improvisation at the Upright Citizen’s Brigade.
Website
AJ (Audrey Jane) Sinclair
- Tag line: Living is more than mere survival.
- Appearance: Caucasian/white, mid-30s, brown wavy shoulder-length hair, brown eyes, medium build
- Fears: Rain and driving, losing her children/loved ones, being alone, not being in control, not being prepared
- Dealing with: grief and anxiety
- Hobbies: gardening, writing, coffee-drinking
- Ticks & Mannerisms: her hands tingle when her anxiety or intuition flares, she paces, loves coffee, repeats information
- Strengths: compassion, patience, organization
- How does she confront conflict? She hits it head on. She is a doer. So, she will do whatever it takes.
Will Sinclair
- Tag line: There is something always interesting to learn.
- Appearance: 9-years-old, quirky, medium/skinny build, brown hair and eyes
- Fears: being without his mom
- Dealing with: grief, being uprooted on this trip, autism & learning challenges
- Hobbies: chess, science, reading, exploring/nature, Legos
- Ticks & Mannerisms: taps his legs or hands, hums, lines things up in order (color, size), doesn’t always respond or converse, obsessions
- Strengths: resilient, intelligent, empathetic, chatty (on topics he prefers)
- How does she confront conflict? He runs away or avoids it. Has meltdowns, but can be strong when given the right tools and environment.
Reid Gregory:
- Tag line: Forgiveness is imperative to healing hurts of the past.
- Appearance: Latino, mid-30s, tall, medium build, dark brown hair and eyes, two tattoos on his inner arm
- Fears: Losing his sister
- Dealing with: guilt, anger issues, (and something else from his past I won’t give away)
- Hobbies: biking, fixing things (mechanical, clocks), walking, reading literary masterpieces, working with his hands
- Strengths: understanding, philosophy, empathetic/good listener, kind, charismatic, protective
- How does she confront conflict? Avoids, is reclusive, has a quick temper.
Jean M. Grant’s Top 10 Cool Facts about Yellowstone National Park
Since the impetus to AJ’s journey is the eruption of the Yellowstone supervolcano, I thought it would be fun to share some fun facts about Yellowstone! This is where the scientist in me (I have degrees in Biology, Marine Science, and Microbiology & Immunology) comes out! Yellowstone is a scientist’s Disneyworld.
How about a few Fun Facts about Yellowstone National Park?
- It became the first National Park in 1872. Over 5 million people visit annually.
- Yellowstone is a hydrothermal wonderland with over 10,000 hydrothermal features: geysers, hot springs, mudpots, steam vents, and over 500 geysers.
- The park is the size of Delaware and Rhode Island combined, covering 2.2 million acres.
- Yellowstone is a supervolcano. Two massive magma bodies bubble beneath the park. Let that sink in…
- There are over 20 supervolcanoes across the globe.
- The park is not all geological wonderland…there are also hundreds of unique bird, fish, and mammal species in this gem in northwest Wyoming. Some signatures: bears (black and brown/Grizzly), bison, and wolves. Because of extensive programs, endangered species now flourish in the park.
- Old Faithful has been very faithful, erupting approximately every 90 minutes.
- Yellowstone has had 3 [2 of them being “supervolcanic”] caldera-forming eruptions over the past 3 million years (2.1 million, 1.3 million, and 640,000 years ago, respectively). Will it erupt again? Yes. Soon, like tomorrow? Not likely. The last eruption: 174,000 years ago, with 60 smaller ones since.
- The VEI scale measures explosivity of volcanoes and runs from 0 to 8. Mount St. Helens’ eruption in 1980 was a VEI 5, Vesuvius that buried Pompeii in 79 A.D. was a VEI 6, and the Mazama (created Crater Lake in Oregon) was a 7. In my story, the scientists estimated the Yellowstone eruption to be between 6 and 7. Each step in the scale means an 10x increase in material/ash ejected.
- Be safe and read danger signs! To date over 92 people have died in the park, mostly from falling into burning hot springs, off ledges, or tempting fate with a bison.
Author Jean M. Grant presents a moving story of a mother’s concern for missing family members in the wake of a natural disaster.
A.J, her two sons, and brother are forced to separate as they prepare to fly home from vacationing in Yellowstone National Park. She and her 9-year-old autistic son fly home early, expecting the other two to follow on a later flight.
However, upon reaching home, which is in Maine, she hears devastating news that a supervolcano has erupted. She has been trying to cope ever since her husband was killed in a driving accident, and this news immediately adds to her anxiety. She can’t lose anyone else, and her brother isn’t answering his cell phone. She makes a snap decision to drive to Denver where she is sure her brother and youngest son are.
It is obvious that being without her husband, and also raising two young children has taken its toll on her, since the last year she has suffered from depression and anxiety. However, at the time this decision was made, she would not have known how beneficial to her healing the trip would end up being.
My Concerns
In all of the chaos how in the world does AJ think she will find her brother? And if by chance things open up and he is able to catch a bus or plane home, where does that leave her? Searching? And by her quick reaction to go find her brother and son, she ends up causing extra work for first responders trying to help those with immediate needs.
I was also concerned about AJ’s attitude toward her new friend who was giving his all to help her along the trip. I know she is having trouble trusting others, but being kind is never out of order.
My Conclusion
The writing was good and I would say the “good“ far outweighed my concerns, so by all means give it a try. And, who know, perhaps my concerns were a bit too serious and analytical?
I received this audiobook as part of my participation in a blog tour with Audiobookworm Promotions. The tour is being sponsored by Jean M. Grant. The gifting of this audiobook did not affect my opinion of it.
Rating: ☆☆☆☆
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