My late husband Bill loved to read. He often turned off TV to read. However, it wasn’t a paperback or eBook. He “read” an audiobook.
Check out Google and you’ll find many articles questioning whether an audiobook is considered reading. Reatha-Mae Newman in a recent article answered that question to my satisfaction.
Are audiobooks considered reading? The short answer: Yes.
Reading is widely defined as the act of moving one’s eyes across paper to comprehend printed words. However, this notion leads many people to believe that reading is limited to visual comprehension. The reality is that despite the printed word being the norm, reading can take different forms, and audiobooks, which rely on sound, are just one of many. Other examples include braille, a method of reading that relies on touch.
I’ve written books since 1998. My favorite tropes are single moms, second chances, and later in life. I’ve recently added a touch of mystery/suspense to one series. I’ve ventured into gothic/time travel and medieval romances. After the indie book revolution, Bill helped me self-publish many books—eBooks and paperbacks.
But no audiobooks.
Why? They are expensive for an indie author to do. If you want to produce a professional product, you must use a professional narrator. In 2023, Traci Odom, voice artist, came into my life. I think I responded to an email. Anyway, Bill said, “let’s go for it!” and we contracted Traci to do my series Ghost Mountain Ranch.
Today, I have four audiobooks thanks to Traci’s great narration. Check them out! You might check out a sample from Kelsey, one of the books in my series at this link. When I hear the book being narrated, I can’t believe I wrote it!
The audiobooks are on Audible and Apple Audiobooks.
Audiobooks
Ghost Mountain Dude Ranch nestles in the white-capped mountains of Montana. It’s an idyllic setting, a place for romance to blossom. But old secrets are stirring in Blue Sky country. Three couples reach for their chance at romance, but murder, mystery, and long-concealed truths threaten their loves, and their lives.
Darby and Hank:
Darby York fled Ghost Mountain thirty years ago, torn by shock and guilt over the death of her mother. Now widowed, with grown twins, she returns to help her ailing father. Hank Slade, wrangler at Ghost Mountain Ranch, has never stopped carrying the torch for Darby. But the past has a way of catching up with you. Grief and secrets had torn Darby and Hank apart once. Given a second chance at love, will the revelation of more shocking secrets from the past destroy their hopes for the future?
Slade and Laurie:
For Slade Heston, growing up as a “rich” boy in Kentucky Bluegrass country is nothing like spending the summer as a hired hand at a Montana dude ranch. Laurie Chastain has come to the ranch, supposedly to write stories to draw visitors to Ghost Mountain. But Laurie’s hiding secrets. She can’t afford the distraction of a broad-shouldered and entirely too-sexy man in a cowboy hat. Someone knows the truth about the part Ghost Mountain Ranch played in Laurie’s life, and the terrible consequences. But when the ghosts of the past threaten the lives of the living, will their growing attraction be enough to protect Slade and Laurie?
Kelsey and Max:
Had Kelsey Heston made a mistake coming to Ghost Mountain Ranch? She’s come from Kentucky to untangle her grandfather’s business books and improve the tourist trade, but what’s her old college sweetheart doing here? Max Lee has always done what was expected of him, including abandoning the woman he loved when his family demanded it. Sent to Ghost Mountain to search for a long-missing woman, he turns up another he never expected to see again: Kelsey. But something dark is happening at Ghost Mountain Ranch. Max is stirring up old feelings and old secrets. Secrets someone might be willing to kill to keep. Can they finally lay the old ghosts to rest, or will the echoes of a decades-old murder destroy their second chance at love?
My Lord Raven To protect what little family she has left, Lady Catrin Fitzalan switches places with her cousin when King Edward orders the pious girl to wed his royal champion, a vicious knight called the King’s Raven. Rumors abound that this savage is responsible for the deaths of Lady Catrin’s father and brother. How can she allow her sweet cousin to wed a murderer?
Bran ap Madog, bastard son of a Welsh prince, has devoted his life to serving the English king. His badge is the raven, a creature that feeds off rotting spoils, just as Bran feeds off the spoils of war. Now he wants a reward for his service: a wealthy wife, and the land and power she can bring him.
But there’s another side to the rapacious black birds Bran has chosen for his badge. Social and family-oriented, ravens mate for life. Which gives them something Bran never had—a family, a sense of belonging, and a rightful place in the world. Bran has fought for everything he’s ever had. But his last battle, with his new wife, may cost him the one thing he isn’t prepared to lose: his heart.
Other places to find these books
Biography
Whether it is the Bluegrass of Kentucky, the mountains of Montana, or Medieval England, Jan Scarbrough brings you home with romances from the heart.
The author of two popular Bluegrass romance series, Jan writes heartwarming contemporary stories about home and family, single moms and children, and if the plot allows, about another passion—horses. Living in the horse country of Kentucky makes it easy for Jan to add small town, Southern charm to her books and the excitement of a Bluegrass horse race or a competitive horse show.
The Ghost Mountain Ranch series is a contemporary western series with a good blend of mystery and happily-ever-after romance. The Dawsons of Montana is another four-book contemporary western series.
Jan leaves her contemporary voice behind with two paranormal gothic romances, Timeless and Tangled Memories, a Romance Writers of America (RWA) Golden Heart finalist. Her historical romance, My Lord Raven, is a medieval story of honor and betrayal.
Jan holds a M.A. in English from Western Kentucky University. A member of Novelist, Inc., Jan self-publishes her books.
Jan lives in Louisville, Kentucky, with two rescued dogs and two rescued cats. She likes to take a horseback riding lesson at Premier Stables and volunteer at Alley Cat Advocates.
Website: https://janscarbrough.com/
Newsletter signup (free eBook) https://janscarbrough.com/newsletter/
Congrats on doing all those audiobooks. And I appreciate the info in your blog. Finding a good narrator is essential! I love listening to audiobooks, but I haven't ventured into doing them for my own works, mostly because of the cost. Maybe I'll dig deeper.
It's an interesting question, and made me think...it's kind of cool that someone who isn't able to read can still hear the stories we have to tell! I enjoyed reading your post!
Great post, Jan. I'm a big audio book fan, and I'm always surprised by how many readers don't like them.
Very interesting post! I love offering my books in audio too!
Thanks for being here today, Jan!