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Here is the fast and furious lowdown (I'm kidding...it's really verbose) to the origins and decisions related to the Virulent Audiobook. (And I'll be sure to update as I travel through this process.)

When I first wrote Virulent, several friends asked me if there would ever be an audiobook version. Of course, I wanted to explore this medium, but the main issue for me was time. With a brother who runs his own sound engineering and design business, I was confident that when the time came, I could get the necessary help to make the audiobook a reality! But the time was never right. Writing takes up my extra time...writing, editing, marketing. (In addition to, you know, teaching...parenting...running a small business. And I still manage to watch a lot of TV.) How could I possibly add something more to my plate?

Then last month I was contacted by a publishing company interested in the audiobook rights. I'm not going to mention the company name here, but I will tell you: I was attracted to their pitch. They were reputable, doing amazing quality work; they were supportive of me as an author, and I was 100% sure that I was going to sign the audiobook rights to them!

See...the thing is...it felt nice.

When you spend time as a writer in the indie world, what you really crave is validation. In the past, validation came in the form of a publishing company wanting you and courting you. THAT was the only way to make it in the world and that was the gold star of arriving successfully as an author.

So, when the company sent me the contract...I was ready to jump. Did I have the time to produce my own audiobook? Not really. Was I ready to ask my brother to shoulder the burden of the audiobook production despite his crazy schedule? Not really! Was I afraid about assuming the initial financial risk? Yes.

I had signed my name. I was ready to send the contract back.

There is comfort in feeling wanted and comfort in turning over control.

And then...like in a movie...at that exact moment I was about to hit send...my brother sent me a link for ACX (Audiobook Creation Exchange) to my Facebook account and it rolled across my computer screen like an announcement. "Have you seen this?"

I had, but I hadn't paid attention to it fully. I thought that ACX would upload my completed audiobook and make it available to Audible and iTunes, but I didn't realize that it was MUCH more than that. You see, ACX is an Amazon platform that connects producers and narrators to authors who want to create an audiobook. You upload your book information, you set your payment wishes (royalty share or pay per finished hour), you decide on a script for narrators, and you wait.

I hemmed and hawed.

Wouldn't this be more work for me? Do I have the skills necessary to market this on my own? Am I ready to assume the burden of the financial risk...for a significantly increased royalty rate in the future? The site boasted testimonials from Neil Gaiman and Hugh Howey...it was not just an option available, it was an option that was working for people whose opinion matters to me.

Reading more on the ACX site (https://www.acx.com) solidified my resolve. Some people get weird about Amazon and their platforms and the work they are doing on the publishing scene. Sheesh. Nothing gets my blood-pressure up more than people misunderstanding the process and the avenues that Amazon has given to people like me. (Ranting about the inherent jealousy imbedded in the publishing world is a different post. But I will tell you this: Every single indie author I have EVER met has been supportive, open, and willing to let me into their circle. I've never once felt out of place or unwelcome at the table.)

I owe a lot to Amazon's enterprise and even with other options, with a publishing contract in my lap, I still was attracted to them and what they could offer me.

So, while on a flight back from a wedding in the mid-west, I made up my mind.

I'd let the contract go. I'd have to tell the company I was excited to work with that I wanted to do this on my own. And I was ready to merge with ACX to produce this audiobook.

As I began the process, I realized: I had made the right decision.

Regardless of the financial reasons to go this route, I felt empowered by knowing that I had the ABILITY to do this without a publishing company. While the traditional way was nice on my ego, it was not the best for me as an indie author. The only thing I have that is precious, like gold, are my rights. Indie authors don't publish on their own because they have to...that is a stigma I hope is long past. No, indie authors publish because they see the value in keeping control of their material; the world is changing, and authors, publishers, and readers have to change with it.

ACX is bringing professionals together. I had 25 auditions (I have no way of knowing if this is a lot or not a lot or on par...but it seemed great to me!) within 48 hours. Most of them were downright amazing. Together with my creative team, we listened to every single voice, sometimes several times. And in the end, we chose the best fit for us. 

Laci Morgan (http://lacimorgancreations.com/voiceovers/) will narrate Virulent. And, I hope, she will enjoy working with me enough to voice both The System and The Variables (books 2 & 3 in the Virulent Series). Had I gone with the initial publishing company, they would have cast an excellent narrator (they had several people in mind already!), but I wouldn't have had a say. Not really. I wouldn't have heard all the auditions, handpicked the one for me, and made the offer. There is ownership this way -- there is teamwork -- there is a feeling that we are doing amazing things, together.

Why settle for a middleman when there are companies out there working diligently and successfully to eliminate the need for one? Why let someone else own my rights and my talent, when companies like ACX make it easy to connect with the right people for your project? 

I'm beyond excited.

Some people in the world might think that my project carries more weight if there is a publishing company attached to it. "Oh...you signed with [insert name here]. Very cool." And I don't dismiss anyone's decision to go that route -- I was literally seconds away from going down that road myself.

But here I am.

With an audiobook in production and a tentative release slated for December 2013. 

That's right.

It's amazing. I'm excited. I said that already. But I am.

I don't respond to reviews. Good or bad. I don't think that authors should; readers need a voice and an opinion that feels safe and separate from the ego of an author and so, I decided before I began this journey that I would engage my readers on social networking and if they emailed me, but I would stay away from reviews.

Whether or not I agree with a review is not the point: Anyone can dislike a book for any reason. I support a reader's decision to stop reading. I support a reader's decision to hate the book and my characters. 

But, with that said, I got a review on Barnes and Noble that I think begs for a response. I'm not responding to that ONE person's decision to stop reading or their right to be offended. It's not even that it's the only review or that it might drive readers away...if someone reads the review and honestly thinks that they might share the reviewer's sentiment, then they absolutely shouldn't buy my book. 

But I don't really think the review is about my book, not really. I think the review is about a social issue...and, so, I will absolutely respond to that:

I feel very strongly that Darla's character -- her ENTIRE character, every piece of the fabric of her character -- contributes greatly to the story I want to tell.

Her sexuality is not the most interesting thing about her: she is strong, she is powerful, she is a loving mom, she is tender, and wise, and she is a devoted friend. She is human; she is messy, she is real. She loves Ethan and stands up for him when no one else will. She is sacrificial and  forgiving.

If we want to delve into the process and mind of an author, I can tell you: Lucy is more like me now -- a bit timid, trying to gain her confidence, slowly realizing she is strong and has a voice. But Darla is who I want to be -- fearless, full of integrity and conviction. 

She goes through some challenges in Book Three that have brought me to tears. She is a part of me. She is amazing. And yes, Darla is gay. And yes, I created her that way. And boy do I love her.

I am sorry that the BN reviewer's pre-teen daughter won't get the chance to read about a strong woman...brave in the face of danger. Darla contributes a lot to the story. 

I'm proud of my characters, each and every one of them.