Tobi Doyle's Blog

 

I have been writing! In fact I finished a new manuscript, POUR DECISIONS, a paranormal mystery with romance that’s funny. I also published Kiss Bang Boom last year, which I started RIGHT before I got Covid in 2020. AND, I’ve been working with the amazing Sheila (SG) Redling creating workshops and retreats and more. Our website is AskIGW.com, and you’ll see we’ve been super busy over there. I started with the whole workshop thing when I volunteered to help create the content for RWA’s Guide to Writing Romance. I spent a year studying writing craft and how to teach it, and I was kind of disappointed that many writers read writing craft books, and if they’re pantsers…or people who like to write to discover their story, they are often overlooked. So, Sheila and I fixed that. I’m really proud of the work we’ve done, and if you’re a writer ABSOLUTELY check out our AskIGW.com site. We’ve got tons of resources for both pantsers and plotters. I’m a plotter, and Sheila’s a pantser.

And of course, that leaves me wanting to write ALL the time, and I have so many ideas of stories I want to write. I buckled down and finished Pour Decisions, and I’ve started the second in the series. I also narrated Kiss Bang Boom, which is a fun romantic suspense. AND, that made me wonder…what do y’all feel about the sex scenes, especially in an audiobook. Not gonna lie, I blushed and I wrote the scenes! I was wondering if it would be nice to have a second edition that was Safeish For Work, or at least the drive-thru? Thoughts? I’d love to hear from you. Email me at Tobi@TobiDoyle.com, or just comment.

I’ll try to be better at checking in here, but there’s only so much time in the day, right? Follow me on Facebook – I tend to check in there more regularly. My author page is: https://www.facebook.com/tobidoyleaut... and you can friend me at: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorTobiDoyle/

If you prefer instagram, I’m at: https://www.instagram.com/tobi.doyle/

And I’m slowing getting acclimated to TikTok…I find myself diving down rabbit holes and losing time there, but, you can follow me at: https://www.tiktok.com/@tobidoyle

I hope you stay fabulous and enjoy 2024!

 

Tobi

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The Feral Housewife

 

My bro-in-law sent me this meme and it struck a chord that probably resonates with many of my readers and friends.

 

Signs You’re a Feral Housewife

 

You can eat off your floors. Literally. Like there’s cereal, dried rice, and probably some pet food reduced to dust. In case of a nuclear attack, you’ve got at least one meal waiting under the dust bunnies.None of your friends are part of an MLM scheme. You don’t have time for those kinds of friends or parties. Your friends’ side hustles include free-lance editing, an Etsy store selling handcrafted jewelry, and writing erotic romance under a pseudonym, all of which add to the margarita money for your nights out. Olé.You’re well-read and your reading list includes everything from non-fiction to Jane Austen, Agatha Christie, and Ruby Dixon. 70:30 Dixon.The pizza delivery guy delivers on Friday even when you don’t place an order, because he knows you forgot, and he’s got your back. Plus, you tip 30%.You leave parent-teacher conferences confused as to what kind of magic occurs that turns your rancid, potty-mouthed, unappreciative teen into this years’ service award winner…and then you worry that they’ve set the bar way too low.After a weekend away with the hubs, you come home to a spotless house and two sleepy teenagers. You choose to ignore the fact that the stack of Solo-cups is missing, and the dog is now pink and focus on the fact everyone has their limbs intact and you and the hubs needed that weekend away.Your ceiling fan is now unbalanced due to the weight of the dust accumulated on top. You remind yourself to get to it after the laundry, Sisyphus.You pick dried food off plates from the dishwasher rather than soaking them and rewashing them, reasoning that food particle has been sanitized.People comment on the family photo hanging above your fireplace without realizing that it took two hours, threats of bodily harm, and serious photoshopping skills to make it look like the kids were all smiling, looking at the camera, and touching each other and not the diabolical, duplicitous, demons they are when assembled.You refer to your friends as your coven.

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Alastair Brodie needs to find the rogue shifter who is killing humans before they expose the paranormal world…except that the rogue could be his fated mate and now he risks losing her and his sanity.

Emma Wilder wakes up in a wolf’s body and is thrown into a world she didn’t know existed and must prove her innocence for deeds she can’t remember doing. Her life is in jeopardy and a big hulking wyvern won’t leave her alone.

This is the first serial I’ve ever written and it’s going to be a high-conflict drama, my friends! The first three episodes are free on Kindle Vella. Check it out today and let me know what you think!

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I had a blast at our RWA Retreat! It was much smaller than a conference and allowed me time to get to know new people. I worked out my problem with Carter’s story for Garza Security and I’m super excited. I’ll be plotting it out this week for Kiss of Death’s Book-In-A-Week and should have it ready by fall. I hope… I really enjoyed Siera Simone’s workshop on Marketing and I’m going through her workbook and you’ll see changes to my site. The craft workshops were great, too. I especially loved Jen Graybeal’s meet-ups where we talked through our book challenges and really helped me think about my stories, especially the new serial I’m writing for Kindle Vella.

Best of all, I got to see some people face-to-face instead of screen-to-screen and hang out and enjoy the beautiful grounds of the Gaylord Opry Mills Event Center.

Are you excited for Carter’s book?

Need an excerpt?

Sign up for my mailing list because I’ll be giving sneak peeks into Carter and his love interest!

 

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I was graciously asked by Cat Pleska to be interviewed for the WV Author show. Cat did a great job on the interview and hopefully, new writers will gain some good info. She also allowed me to talk about my latest releases Too Sweet to Die and Marina’s Risk.

Here’s the link And it’s totally cringey to watch yourself on TV…

 

https://youtu.be/MddqZRQ5wmc

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If you haven’t read Still Waters, you need to. You’ll thank me later. There’s a sexy-times in the shower scene that is super funny… The guys of Garza are like my fan fiction spinoff of Janet Evanovich’s Ranger and his gang. Personally, I really loved Stephanie Plum until she couldn’t make a decision and it was frustrating to me. I admit I prefer monogamy and at a certain point, she needed to move on from both men or pick one. Anyway, I loved the idea of a security group of guys, band of brothers, with street smarts rather than college degrees and military training. And no love triangles. Well, maybe no love triangles. We’ll see…Lance has a backstory that’s beginning to brew. The guys of Garza have been in my head for a decade, and I hope your as passionate about them as I am.

So, READ Still Waters, you can get it at most retailers. If you prefer audiobooks, you can pick that up here.

AMAZON   ALL OTHER RETAILERS

 

 

Then READ or listen to When Joaquin Met Sara…IT’S FREE!

EBook or Audiobook:

And finally, love and cherish and adore what a cinnamon roll hero AJ is. Marina’s Risk audiobook is coming soon.

Marina’s Risk is available at AMAZON and MOST OTHER RETAILERS. 

THEN, let me know if you think Carter should have his story next.

The post Marina’s Risk is LIVE, and grab your copy of When Joaquin Met Sara FREE! appeared first on Tobi Doyle MacBrayne.

AJ’s story comes out May 30th, but I’ve got a sweet surprise for you today! The prequel…if you’ve read Still Waters you know that Sara knew the guys already. This is THAT story. And it’s action/adventure and so much fun! For those who have vision issues, I’ve created an audiobook version using Talkia Software and each character has their own “voice” which is actually a lot harder than it sounds. For one, there really are only a few voices to choose from. Yes, they brag there are hundreds, but they are for other languages and countries and the pronunciation of English words is a bit rough. So, I’ve stuck with English-speaking AI narrators for this production, because they don’t have AI narrators with a “hint” of an accent. Yet.

You can grab the audiobook HERE. Or listen to it below.

http://tobidoyle.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/When-Joaquin-Met-Sara-Audiobook.mp3

You can download your favorite ebook format HERE.

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Lately, I’ve been thinking about the parenting things I did right because those are in a much smaller number to consider than the things I did wrong. One thing I made certain of was that our house was child-friendly.  And it made me wonder if any of you also grew up in a house that wasn’t actually child-friendly. So, here’s my Top Five Signs You May Not Have Grown Up in a Child-Friendly House. Let me know if there are more to add to the list!

The bathroom had hand soap and towels you weren’t allowed to use. You also had to instruct your friends they weren’t allowed to use them.Your toys were stored in the garage or your room. Before dinner, all toys had to be removed leaving no trace of children playing.You had a family of six and a table that only sat four.The family motto was “children shouldn’t be seen or heard”, especially when the ‘rents had friends over. Although, you were bribed with pizza and coke and allowed to watch TV in your room and stay up late.Friends were discouraged from coming over unless your mom had at least 48 hours notice.

Truthfully, I had a great time as a kid. We played outside (saving the whole shifting of toys before dinner) and came home when the lights came on. I lived in a suburban area with parks that I could ride my bike to and play with friends there, and none of us were accompanied by an adult. As a parent, I made sure our house was the one where kids played so I could keep an eye on them because times have changed. My house was/is a lot messier than my mom’s, but I didn’t have Donna Reed or Mrs. Cleaver as standards I was supposed to live up to.

Parenting is hard. We all make mistakes. I look back and laugh at the weird things my parents did, and my kids tease me about some of the weirdness I tortured them with. *cue, It’s The Circle of Life music. What about you? Did you have non-child-friendly things at your house?

 

 

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They’re here…

The men of Garza Security are available in Audiobook through my website. I’ve used Talkia Software to create a dramatic reading of Still Waters with a cast of character voices. I’m impressed with the inflections, and as an audiobook narrator and author, I’ve carefully edited the audiobook. If you’re visually impaired or used to pdf readers, you’ll love this version. If you like multitasking, you’ll love this version. This audiobook was affordable for me to make and I’m passing the savings on to you. $4.99 for the audiobook using the Soundwise App.

Listen to the first chapter here to see if it’s the right fit for you.

http://tobidoyle.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Narr_SWch1.mp3

Get your audiobook of Still Waters, Garza Security Book One HERE!

Also, Still Waters is now available at all major retailers! You can find your favorite non-Amazon retailer link here: https://books2read.com/u/4ED07A

And if you want to find it on Amazon, click here: https://amzn.to/2QDPfrb

NEW RELEASE Marina’s Risk PREORDER TODAY from Amazon!

Marina’s Risk will be out May 30th, I’ll have the other retailer preorder links up soon!

He’s intense, crass, and Atlas would be jealous of his shoulders.

AJ Garza rescued her kidnapped father. Marina wants to know why her father was targeted. AJ wants Marina. She’s good at math, bad at people, and one night with AJ seems like the perfect solution.

But her questions make her a target.

She’s awkward, a stunner in fugly clothes, deserves a country-club guy, but she’s pregnant with his kid. Can he protect her and persuade her to take a chance on them?

Marina’s Risk has:

AJ talks!Secret BabyBand of Brothersand of course, humor Preorder from Amazon. Other retail links coming soon!

Garza Security Prequel!

I’m writing the prequel to Still Waters and will have it available to my newsletter subscribers for FREE! If you haven’t already signed up, DO IT!

You can sign up here: https://mailchi.mp/49002f7e310f/tobis-mailing-list

 

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I’ve got three amazing things to tell you about Garza Security.

I created an audiobook for Still Waters using Talkia Software. Every character has their own voice and for me, who loves to listen to audiobooks while multitasking, I really prefer it over the funky pdf reader I use. Also, for those visually impaired, IT’S GREAT! You can purchase it here for $4.99. Marina’s Risk is OUT next month. And I’m going to try to get that audiobook out by then, too.I’m writing the prequel to Still Waters…when Sara first met the guys and even before Carter joined.

You can check out a sample of the audiobook below or on the books page. They’re not perfect, but I’m pretty impressed with the inflections. The bummer is I can’t sell through most distributors. They have a firm “human voice” only rule. However, Soundwise is an app that lets you play podcasts etc. Once you download the app, it’s super easy to listen to my audiobook and more.

Let me know what you think? It took me a long time to cut and paste all the dialogue into the audio files, but I personally like the “cast of characters” when listening.

Handsome muscular man with tattoo posing in city center

http://tobidoyle.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Narr_SWch1.mp3

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