Friday, May 16, 2025

Human vs. AI Narration for Romance Authors: Making the Right Audiobook Choice

KDP virtual voice for romance novels

We kicked off this series by diving into the exciting world of audiobooks – a world that's booming, especially for us romance authors and readers. We also introduced the new kid on the block, AI narration, and the siren song of "free" audio offered by platforms like KDP Virtual Voice. But the question that lingered, the one that's probably been buzzing in your mind, is all about quality. Can a computer really capture the passion, the heartbreak, the sheer feeling of a romance novel?

Friday, May 9, 2025

What Deanna Read #106: April 2025

What Deanna Read April 2025

How did no one notice that I forgot to update one of the book cover images a couple of months ago and didn't tell me? I only noticed cos I was in the process of migrating the newsletter over to Substack. You guys! It was a WHOLE PROCESS, but at least it's done. It also means you might get a few duplicate emails in the coming weeks. Apologies for that.

On the reading front, I do not know how I did. I guess I'll figure it out when I tally everything up, but it was a very audiobook heavy month. The brain was not braining.

Here's what I read in the last month.

Unlock More with Deanna's World: Our Newsletter is Moving to Substack

Moving the newsletter to Substack

Hello everyone, and thanks for being such a valued part of our community here at Deanna’s World. I’m dropping in with a little bit of housekeeping news today – something I’m actually quite excited about and wanted to share with you all straight away. Our newsletter, your regular dose of author support insights and romance read discussions, is getting a new home!

Tuesday, May 6, 2025

Boycotting Amazon? Skipping Kindle? Reader Power, Author Livelihoods, and Who Really Pays

Boycotting America ripple effect

I’ve been seeing quite a few conversations online recently, like the one mentioning how easy it can be to remove American products or companies from daily life – switching from an American fast food chain (like Maccas!) to a local spot, or swapping a Kindle for a Kobo. And honestly? My first reaction was… well, let's just say it involved a fair bit of steam coming out of my ears. I actually typed out a whole rant – angry, frustrated, probably a bit self-righteous – ready to hit 'post' on social media.

Saturday, April 26, 2025

The Audiobook Boom and the Rise of Digital Voices: Should Romance Authors Pay Attention?

KDP virtual voice

Get ready to dive into the world of audiobooks! This is the first in a series of seven articles (plus a bonus!) where we'll explore everything you need to know about the booming audiobook market, the rise of AI narration, and what it all means for romance authors. We'll cover topics from comparing human and AI narration, to cost breakdowns, using KDP Virtual Voice, protecting your brand, exploring hybrid approaches, and looking at the future of the industry. This series was sparked by a conversation with one of my author clients who, while busy with a new release, was invited to KDP's Virtual Voice program. We agreed to explore it "after the release," but my curiosity took over, and I knew I had to investigate.

Tuesday, April 22, 2025

What Deanna Read #105: March 2025

Well, March was a dismal month of reading. Some audiobooks which seems like the only way my brain could cope with reading because I was actually pretty burned out from a string of very intense book edits for a re-release. As I'm typing this, the proofs for the last book in the series are due back in a couple of days. I just need to apply those, and then it's just a matter of the book being uploaded and the series is complete (again!). It's actually very exciting.

Hope your reading for March has been a lot better than mine.

Here's what I read in the last month.

Red Havoc Rogue by TS Joyce
Red Havoc Rogue
Sealed with a Kiss by Alexa Riley
At Grave's End by Jeaniene Frost
At Grave's End (full cast dramatized version)
🎧Graphic Audio

📘Kindle eBook
Little Sunshine by Layle Frost

Wednesday, March 26, 2025

Beyond Taboo: Reader Outrage and the Child Abuse Allegations | Daddy's Little Toy by Tori Woods

Tori Woods Daddy's Little Girl controversy article

Here's a small news update on this case as of April 16, 2025. A point to take into consideration - this is a legal case, so it's expected that there may not be many updates and things would take time to come to a conclusion.

Sometimes, something catches my attention and I feel compelled to write about it...

Grab a cup of coffee and settle in – we're diving deep into the Daddy's Little Toy controversy, exploring the legal fallout, reader outrage, and future of erotic daddy romance. TL;DR: Author explores taboo child abuse themes, faces legal action and arrest, serving as a cautionary tale for the publishing industry.

Fiction pushes boundaries. That's what it does. It explores the messy, the uncomfortable, even the terrifying parts of being human. It challenges us. It provokes us. It makes us think. But sometimes, it breaks. And when that happens, we have to ask: where's the damn line? How far is too far when we're talking about real-world harm, not just fictional discomfort?