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From Idea to Reality – ‘A How To’ on Audiobooks
Introduction
Creating an audiobook can feel overwhelming for many authors—especially when you’re navigating unfamiliar equipment, new technology, and the challenge of bringing your characters to life through voice. In this candid and entertaining piece, authors and audiobook producers Susan Rogers and John Roosen share their real-world journey from curious beginners to successful audiobook creators of Dead Man’s Pose, Cobra Pose, Tree Pose, and Warrior Pose.
Susan and John provide a behind-the-scenes look at the trials, laughter, mishaps, and surprising moments that shaped their audiobook experience. Their story is a reminder that creativity often flourishes through experimentation, persistence, and a willingness to “give it a go.”
Whether you’re considering producing your first audiobook or simply curious about what the process looks like from the inside, their journey offers both encouragement and inspiration.
By Susan Rogers & John Roosen
Almost four years ago, we knew nothing about how to produce an audiobook.
After reading our book series to each other (about 50 times each), we knew we wanted to try and create a quality audiobook.
It’s almost undefinable what drove us to start this new and complex project. Some would say we’re addicted to writing. Our children and friends complain that we don’t answer the phone or respond to emails.
“Time choices” we say to them.
Our real passion is telling a good story … but it must be wrapped in the best art of storytelling. Creating an audiobook and producing it? Well, that’s an entirely different story.
Blending two styles.
To begin with we are two completely different personalities. We met in Officers Candidate School in the US military. Our last names started with the same two last letters, and we stood beside each other – it was destiny ‘At attention’ of course.
John is tall, a long-distance runner and a person who is good at predicting future events. Susan is a slender woman, who is like a firecracker full of action and a long list of things that must be done today!
On most topics, we see things differently, and our ways of expression are a stark contrast.
How could we come together and write as one voice? By necessity, we’ve had a lot of practice. Through our wide-ranging occupations and projects over the years in multiple countries, we’ve learned to blend our styles to make a unifying approach for most things …including cooking.
John cooks, and Susan says how great it is. [“Such a deal,” Susan confides.]
Producing a DIY audiobook.
You know all those Experts who say: “Do It Yourself’ is soooo EASY”?
We now wonder if that is AI speaking.
We did try to create an audiobook ourselves. There are all kinds of articles, videos, podcasts and influencers trying to influence you one way or the other in creating your own audiobook.
We bought all the equipment from a local electronics store.
“Ever done this before?” the salesperson with the crew cut asked.
“No, we haven’t,” we enthusiastically replied.
‘It’s Non-Refundable,’ he reminded us.
We crafted our closet into a sound stage leaving our clothes there to absorb sound and hanging up a wool blanket to cancel echoes.
We sat in our bedroom closet with our sound equipment perched on our sports clothes and the mike hanging from wooden coat hanger but could still hear the street traffic.
Extra blankets were borrowed from a neighbor who wanted to know what we were doing in the summer with the blankets. Duct tape sealed the door jam. The door chimes were disabled. And we decided not to answer the door … for anyone.
We thought about calling the airport about all those aircraft landing at a nearby airport. We didn’t think we’d have much success with that.
Then there were the thousand dogs that seemed to have recently moved into the neighborhood. That became a never-ending mission of negotiation and dog treats.
Finally, we resorted to using camping mattresses and five sleeping bags over windows and doors to create our sound set. It sort of sounded quiet. But we felt like we were in a small igloo in Antarctica.
We listened to the playback. John’s voice was scratchy in places. Susan sounded like a sultry 1930’s movie star vamp with a heavy breath delivery. We considered other possible use for her voice.
We listened to more playback and knocked over one of the cabinets in the closet—
we laughing so hard.
“This isn’t working,” John suggested.
“Let’s hire a narrator,” Susan replied.
The World of Narration
There is a bountiful number of narrators ‘out there’. They are called lots of things: narrators, readers, voice performers, voice actors, golden voices, storytellers and relators to name a few.
Actually, the first person that gave us a sample of their voice performing talents WAS our real estate agent. He was interested in changing his career, so he didn’t have to depend on the ups and down of the real estate market. We avoided mentioning his sample for almost two months, until we broke down and said he was such a great agent and the market was clearly picking up.
In the interim we subjected ourselves to 20 digital voice demos per day from everywhere on the planet until we were hearing voices … even when we weren’t listening. It felt like the Chris Young’s country western song where he sings, “I hear voices all the time”. After a few months, our neighbor, who is a psychologist told us to put pillows over our heads and hope the voices would go away.
AI Enters the Marketplace
When Artificial Intelligence started making a greater debut, it seemed like a possible option. We listened to dozens of AI generated voices who clearly could mimic anyone, but never really had the same type of feeling that any of the organic human narrators or voice performers could conjure up.
It was like your car telling you to check the back seat when you were leaving the car … and about as romantic. The worse part was AI didn’t know how to deliver a line the way we envisioned it.
“It’s doing, but not feeling,” John said.
“Duh,” Susan strongly responded. “It’s not feeling anything and never will.”
We Have a lot of Characters
The truth is—we have a lot of characters. Anyone reading to our books will see and know we delight in creating a wide spectrum of characters. They are from every demographic, every age and every personality.
Each book has a smorgasbord of these characters. The challenge of course, is to make each character seem authentic and multi-faceted. This includes characters that may have quirky characteristics that allow them to be visualized in the reader’s mind. We also rely on the readers’ imagination to mold our characters to the people they might know or think about. It is part of the partnership of willing participation between us and the readers.
How could we get that same type of quirky emotion into the audiobook version?
And worse, our stories do have a few killers, psychopaths, sociopaths a serial killer or two running around. There are heaps of romantic scenes, sprinkled with all the tension, suspense and thrills that we can wring out of any given page.
How was anyone going to act out all that?
After year of listening to all these voices, we decided one day that it would be our last day of searching.
The Voice
We were living in Sydney, Australia at the time. The day began with an ominous thunder and lightning rainstorm. We had difficulty with our internet. And power was sporadic. Perfect for trying to communicate with the last handful of people we wanted to connect to narrate our books
We held our communications dongle out the window for our very last call of listening to voices from around the world.
When the connection wasn’t happening, John decided hanging out the window further while holding a Wi-Fi device connected by a wire to a power point during an electrical storm was A-okay.
“Don’t worry Susan. I’m heavily insured and there’s always that military burial,”
Rupert Degas picked up on that last call. This extraordinary voice performer, who only works with you if he ‘likes your stuff’. We sent him a copy of the first book … and He liked our stuff! Sat up and read the entire book all night.
And in what was total irony … it turned out that Rupert Degas was living in Sydney, not far from us.
We so love irony. It was “The Voice – at first listen”.
Give it a Go
Have we had fun in all this writing and producing of Audiobooks?
You bet … we certainly have met that goal. And while there are moments of tension and frustration, Susan suddenly stands up, signaling we must practice the kissing scene again so we can describe it just right.
“Rupert will need this description so he can act it out during the audiobook performance,” Susan suggests.
“Alright Susan,” John says. “I’m happy to Give it Go.”
Author Links: Website | SoundCloud | GoodReads | Instagram | YouTube | Linkedin | BlueSky | Mastodon
We’ve Had Unusual Occupations
Warrior Pose follows a gritty intelligence operative juggling perilous missions, personal demons, and a complicated relationship with his partner, who seems to attract danger at every turn, and is trying to protect those who are important to him. What was your inspiration for the wild journey you take readers on in this novel?
We’re the first to admit we’ve had unusual occupations. Make that sometimes weird.
Early on, Susan trained military personnel how to shoot straight. She wanted to be a writer since age six, but took a detour becoming a commissioned naval officer. As a marine inspector, she boarded ships at sea, jumping onto narrow Jacobs ladders, while ocean waves crashed below.
Together with John, Susan orchestrated sting operations against rogue vessels. She switched to battling natural disasters in New Zealand. And when posted in Abu Dhabi, she decided saving lives included health and safety on billion dollar building projects. In her spare time, she wrenched a Presidential yacht—The USS Potomac—from its watery grave, transforming it to a museum.
John is a hazardous materials Superman. Designated as a law enforcement and naval officer, he had a few special powers. While beginning his career as a biologist, he changed outfits to an environmental emergency specialist. He’s been on every continent including Antarctica. At a moment’s notice, he can snuff out chemical and refinery plant explosions, deal with rocket fuel plant meltdowns and dismantle illegal drug labs.
With Susan, John dished out solutions for combatting international security and anti-terrorism for ports in the Pacific. John switched careers to chase pirates and duel with a con artist extraordinaire, while on a remote South Pacific island. In between, he organised jungle expeditions and deep-sea scuba diving.
So, when it comes to writing, we just dig down into our backgrounds. Likely one or even both of us have some real-life experience that helps make everything we write seem real … because usually it is.
I enjoyed the depth of the main characters, Ric and Elaina. What was your process to bring these characters to life?
Do we have to admit this? We don’t think of our characters as imaginary on a page or as digital words on a computer. To us, they are real. We think, breathe, and act out Ric and Elaina … as well as all the bad guys.
We put ourselves into the shoes of our main characters Ric and Elaina. So they become real people in the sense of their values, beliefs, loves, fears, delights and most importantly their passion.
Ric and Elaina seem to be part of OUR DNA. Though we’ve created detailed biographies and descriptions of their lives documenting their histories and backgrounds, Susan’s crazy relatives and John’s work associates often show up in the stories as well.
We are classic plotters. Read that as: we follow Aristotle and his theories on drama. Thus, in each of the books one of the two main characters will always be working on a flaw. We started this in Book 1 and 2 with Elaina. And Book 3 and 4 with Ric. We have an intricate pathway they follow to keep the reader interested.
But let’s be honest. Our characters come to life because of how they would react to the situations and challenges they are confronted with.
They adapt, adjust and hopefully change when new things happen. They grow as characters, as any human would overcoming their flaw.
And we also act our difficult scenes out to ensure we have the tension right.
Once, we were acting out a scene and Susan was wearing a bullet proof vest and John had two kitchen knives. Imagine answering the front door in our ‘book attire’.
Did you find anything in your research of this story that surprised you?
Ans: In one of our jobs, we were asked to clean up a toxic chemical site on the South Island of New Zealand. At first it seemed like just another day’s work.
Until we dug into it … literally. A defunct chemical manufacturing company had produced a colourful array of products for the architectural industry. They didn’t stop there. They also manufactured Agent Orange and bright pink and purple toxic chemicals as part of their production list. A bad day for them was a failed product which meant a quick burial at the plant site. Running out of space, they buried failed products on nearby farms or backfilled it into an estuary.
During the extensive digging, an excavator tipped over contaminated soil from site. A glimmer of rounded white bone appeared. It was a human skull. John and Susan stopped the excavation. The soil was carefully brushed away revealing it wasn’t an ancient artifact. It was an unexpected and more recent burial of human remains.
The police determined the skull was 30 to 40 years old but after a search was finally labelled as an ‘unknown person’.
We were asked to find a suitable burial site. For us, it was important to provide for a proper burial. We obtained permission to create a ‘natural’ memorial as a final resting place for the person that was never identified.
Fast forward 20 years. We are now full-fledged mystery writers with four eBooks and three Audiobooks.
Dead Man’s Pose, Cobra Pose, Tree Pose were all focused on Australia. We shifted gears with Warrior Pose set in New Zealand. Kicking around ideas, we decided to integrate a fictional version of a cleanup and the discovery of a human skull.
We now have developed a backstory and history for a skull found on an imagined cleanup site. Importantly we dedicated the book: To the unknown person we found and the story we never knew.
And it should be noted that worldwide, there are unknown bodies and even skills that are dug up year after year. Some of those bodies and skulls are ancient, but then again some are surprisingly recent. We discovered in our research, it’s definitely not a rare occurrence.
So just be mindful when you are digging into your garden trying to plant those carrots in deep soil!
Can you tell us more about what’s in store for Ric and Elaina, as well as the direction of the next book?
Ans: Whooeee. We have so much packed in for Ric and Elaina, they are going to be very busy for the next five years. Fortunately, they have kindly cleared their calendars for us. (Thank goodness!)
We have drafts of 4 plus++ of these new book storylines in various stages of development. Ric and Elaina will be traveling to new locations in the next book titled Half Moon Pose. They will be turning up in the South of France. What starts as a simple research project into the past rapidly explodes into a desperate search from Avignon to Nice to Paris.
Complications do arise with some old enemies returning and new friends found.
Writing a series means you are always thinking 3 – 5 books ahead even though you are busy writing the current one. And of course you just happen to drop a clue or two along the way in all the storylines. Given our careers forward thinking is what we do best.
Author Links: Website | SoundCloud | GoodReads | Instagram | YouTube | Linkedin | BlueSky | Mastodon
His life at a crossroads, Ric Peters is torn between his perilous job and dreams of a future with Elaina. But their trip to New Zealand throws them into chaos as they are swept up in a whirlwind of danger and dark family secrets.
As Ric grapples with accusations of murder back in Indonesia, the discovery of a mysterious skull at a toxic waste site near his family’s home deepens the mystery. Bodies appear, old wounds reopen, and Ric’s strained relationship with his father is tested by shadows of the past. An old friend’s disappearance and deadly secrets unearthed at a chemical plant threaten to expose more than just the environmental sins of the region.
When a woman’s body is found in the local hills, her face a mask of terror, the danger becomes deadly personal. With Ric’s parents drawn into the fray and Elaina targeted by shadowy foes, the stakes soar. Meanwhile, Ric’s friends back in Indonesia desperately need his help to evade police and a potential firing squad, relying on him from thousands of miles away.
From high-speed chases across mountainous terrain to close encounters with New Zealand’s breathtaking landscapes and quirky characters, Warrior Pose is a relentless ride through betrayal, love, and survival. Join Ric and Elaina as they navigate a labyrinth of intrigue and danger in this explosive installment of the Yoga Mat Mysteries.
Dive into another thrilling chapter of the Yoga Mat Mysteries, where secrets run as deep as the tides and trust is as fleeting as the shifting sands.
Warrior Pose
Warrior Pose is a high-stakes international thriller that kicks off with a literal bang and doesn’t let up. The story follows Ric Peters, a gritty intelligence operative juggling perilous missions, personal demons, and a complicated relationship with his partner Elaina. From the chaotic streets of Jakarta to the dripping jungles of Bali and the quieter corners of Sydney and New Zealand, the narrative intertwines espionage, betrayal, and just enough romance to keep things grounded. Along the way, the book digs into environmental crimes, global politics, and the human cost of covert operations.
Right off the bat, I was hooked. The opening scene—Patterson faceplanting into his soto soup after taking a bullet to the forehead—was cinematic and brutally efficient. It set the tone for the kind of world we were diving into: sharp, fast, and dangerous. The writing is vivid and smartly paced. Ric’s inner voice, always half-a-step from cracking, added tension and authenticity.
What I liked most was how the authors didn’t shy away from messiness—emotional or otherwise. The romance between Ric and Elaina felt lived-in and real. Their chemistry wasn’t all candlelit dinners; it was jungle ambushes, missed connections, and half-yelled arguments in sweltering heat. Elaina showing up mid-interrogation with two suspects face-down in the dirt? Wild and gutsy. But also, oddly believable for their relationship. It made me root for them, even while I questioned whether Elaina should really be getting this close to Ric’s world. Her voice added a necessary counterweight to Ric’s hardened lens.
Some parts had me grinning. Like the surprise orange wig at Delilah’s salon—a rare light moment in an otherwise intense story. It reminded me that these characters aren’t just agents and assets. They’re people. They get scared. They crack jokes. They write sweet texts like Ric’s glow-in-the-dark engagement note to Elaina. It made the action scenes feel more meaningful because you cared about who was running from the bullets. That’s not easy to pull off in a thriller.
The story packs a lot. Assassins, flash drives, family trauma, espionage, yoga studios—it’s a buffet. The story switches from Ric’s action to Elaina’s introspection. The ride was fun and rich. And Francis Holms was absolutely unhinged in the best way. His scenes were like a twisted blend of Bond villain and IT guy with a grudge.
Warrior Pose is for fans of spy thrillers who want a bit more than bullets and bodies. It’s got heart. It’s got humor. It’s got complex people doing questionable things for the right reasons—or at least convincing themselves they are. I’d recommend it to anyone who loves stories where action meets character, and where danger is never more than a few pages away. If you like Barry Eisler’s John Rain or the TV show Alias, this one’s going to hit your sweet spot.
Pages: 391 | ASIN : B0F2N8TGDM
Collaborators with Duelling Computers
In Tree Pose, Ric and Elaina’s romantic getaway in Tasmania turns perilous when a mysterious text from Ric’s past threatens to upend their lives. How important do you think the role of a narrator is in shaping the listener’s experience of an audiobook?
For an Audiobook, the narrator makes or breaks the production. A seasoned, professional narrator or voice performer can heighten the storyline with a deep sense of storytelling. They can bring the listener into the “story world” with their voice.
In many ways, an audiobook is a play that happens in the listener’s mind. It’s all about the words and the way they sound.
We wrote the Yoga Mat Mysteries series as lyrical fiction. It’s not only meant to be read but also to be heard.
We envisioned this long ago when we first started talking about this series. The words and combinations of words are carefully crafted to put you in every scene as if you were attending a play. Our narrator Rupert Degas is a consummate actor and voice actor. He has the ability to take the words from the written page and transform them into verbal voice images.
We like to think of our stories as having magic. The storyteller can add that fairy dust which gives the stories even greater capacity.
How involved were you in the selection of the narrator, and what qualities do you think Degas brings to the storytelling that enhances the listener’s experience?
We spent over a year searching and listened to audition tapes each day. There were hundreds of auditions heard over the entire year. We were searching for the narrator that could collaborate well with us.
We had written our prose that begged not only to be read but also to be listened to. Storytelling is an art and important in the Yoga Mat Mysteries series. We wanted to immerse the reader and the audiobook listener into the world of our characters.
Overall, enriching our characters with the power of audiobooks, gave them a new world beyond the printed page. We had originally breathed life into them, but audiobooks gave them the clarity of clear speech.
Our characters now had an expanded stage presence—and they could talk, laugh, and cry … in various accents!
Rupert Degas brings his voice-acting energy into the strong characterizations that we have developed. In our joint project of working with Rupert, we have fused together a winning combination of the human voice speaking the award-winning prose.
How did you feel when you first heard Rupert Degas’ narration of Tree Pose, and what aspects of his performance stood out to you the most?
After a full year of searching, our compatibility meter zeroed in on Rupert Degas. Rupert has the uncanny ability to create, craft, and deliver an infinite range of voices. We had another unique set of voices in Tree Pose for him to voice perform.
Once again, we gave Rupert a detailed biography for each character. We knew these characters well. We had lived with them for two years by then. John claimed that Ric, one of our main protagonists, was using his straight razor and leaving it wet on the bathroom sink!
Hearing the prose spoken and Rupert’s interpretation of our characters was very fulfilling. We had read the book to each other numerous times during our edits. As this is book three Rupert has a thorough understanding of the main characters and how they would speak and react.
We have poured our energy into their personalities, bringing them alive on the page. Rupert helped intensify the drama, love, humour, fear, and wonder of each of the characters.
Were there any particular scenes or moments in Tree Pose that you were especially excited to hear brought to life through Rupert Degas’ narration?
Every dramatic, funny, powerful story starts with the characters and storyline. The best narrator cannot resurrect a story that does not compel.
We spent about a year on the written part of the book /audiobook. We are careful and diligent writers. We ensure excellence in terms of editing, proofreading, and production. The book has to be ‘5-star’ before we even start the audiobook production.
Our goal is always ironclad: The voice of the storyteller had to enhance the listener’s experience of our stories.
We were seasoned audiobook producers by the time we came to book 3, Tree Pose. We were excited to once again be working with Rupert.
Our first audiobook, Dead Man’s Pose had captured the imagination of AudioFile, the premier review of audiobooks. It earned an Earphones award and the founder of audiobook, Robin Whitten, provided a ‘Behind the Mic’ podcast interview with Jo Reed.
By the end of the year, Dead Man’s Pose was awarded Best of 2023 in the mystery/suspense category.
Earlier this year, we won an award from IBPA for the Second Audiobook in our series – Cobra Pose. This was in the category of Best Audiobook – Fiction. A month later, we won the Best Audiobook for the (Mystery/Suspense/Thriller,Action/Adventure) category again for Cobra Pose from the Indie Reader Discovery Awards.
The story of Tree Pose takes place on the island of Tasmania Australia and besides Ric and Elaina, the characters include our seasoned outback detective, Jack MacMasters, and Alfred Hastings a man who prefers sleep rough.
Alfred’s voice was particularly difficult for us to describe to Rupert. We liked Chris Hemsworth’s Australian accent, but there was a particular commercial that we had heard where that male voice speaks with a gravelly sound to it. It took us a month to track down the commercial we had heard and describe what we liked about ‘gravelly quality’.
Alfred is one of our characters who likes to sleep rough. He’s been ‘on the ground’ for over ten years. It was that gravelly quality that we were after.
As a connoisseur voice actor, Rupert nailed Alfred’s voice. As Alfred roams around Tasmania, his role becomes instrumental and his voice perfect for this mystery thriller, hinting at just enough romance for this third story in our series.
Recently one of the reviewers of Tree Pose confided they stayed up all night listening to it. Now that is music to our ears!
It makes every minute of the year of unsuccessful listening, the time in our unventilated closet, the nights wondering about ‘What’s the Plan?’ … all worthwhile.
We want every listener to listen to our stories and be so enthralled, they stay up all night to listen. Or they, “go around the block just one more time” so they can hear the end of that story.
Author Links: Website | Facebook | LinkedIn | YouTube | Instagram | Twitter | Sound Cloud
Tree Pose: Yoga Mat Mysteries Series (Audiobook)
Tasmania is the setting for the third installment of Susan Rogers and John Roosen’s Yoga Mat Mysteries. Tree Pose is the gripping follow-up to Rogers and Roosen’s Cobra Pose. Readers are reintroduced to Ric and Elaina and reminded of their budding romance and the perpetual drama threatening their union. What should be an enjoyable getaway and a chance to cement their relationship thrusts the couple into the precarious position of dodging the repercussions of Ric’s past. When Ric receives a mysterious text on a phone line known only to close associates, he quickly realizes their trip may take a deadly turn.
The audiobook version of Tree Pose, narrated by Rupert Degas, is not to be missed. Throughout the audiobook, the narration varies with a pleasing change of inflection from character to character, making each one equally memorable. Degas adds dramatic pauses and a sense of urgency to the action scenes, building apprehension and creating a fantastic feeling of fear and trepidation throughout the novel. Degas is equally adept at adding a softness to the tender moments Rogers and Roosen have created for main characters Ric and Elaina.
Rogers and Roosen have once more crafted a truly memorable cast of characters embroiled in a thrilling plot. Even though this is the third book and relates directly to events from the previous installments, readers will have no problem following the storyline as the authors have done a wonderful job of building the element of mystery for new readers and keeping fans of the series actively engaged.
I find the authors’ ability to intertwine multiple conflicts throughout the narrative especially appealing. Without leaving the primary conflict behind, they effortlessly manage to keep readers on their toes, following the threat on Elaina’s life as they blend in the desperate search to end a human trafficking conspiracy. There is no lack of action in Book 3, and the perfect assimilation of romance, humor, and mystery for fans of all three genres.
This audiobook captivates readers’ imaginations and draws them into the fascinating mystery behind Ric’s past and the anticipation of a lasting romance with Elaina. Rogers and Roosen never fail to pull readers into the plot and keep them guessing from chapter to chapter. The addition of Rupert Degas’ fantastic skills in audiobook narration makes this a highly recommended audiobook for mystery fans and those seeking a binge-worthy series.
Duration: 10hrs 19min | ASIN: B0D27B231B
Tree Pose
In Tree Pose, Ric’s idyllic journey to Tasmania alongside his captivating yoga instructor girlfriend, Elaina, takes a treacherous turn when they encounter a cryptic message, unraveling a web of danger stemming from Ric’s concealed past. Authored by Susan Rogers and John Roosen, this thrilling installment, the third in the Yoga Mat Series following Cobra Pose, thrusts main characters Ric and Elaina into a gripping narrative filled with suspense and action against the picturesque backdrop of Australia.
Rogers and Roosen expertly weave together a tale that seamlessly blends adventure and romance, drawing readers into the evolving relationship between Ric and Elaina amidst the mounting tension of Ric’s troubled history. While familiarity with the preceding book may enhance appreciation of the characters’ dynamics, Tree Pose stands solidly on its own as a captivating adventure-romance fusion. The authors skillfully recap previous events, ensuring new readers can readily immerse themselves in the narrative. Rich character development and a cast of compelling secondary characters elevate this installment to new heights within the series. Impeccable pacing and vivid descriptions transport readers into a world brimming with excitement and danger, making this book an essential read for fans of the action-adventure genre.
Rogers and Roosen deliver a riveting tale that resonates long after the final page, offering readers a captivating blend of thrills, romance, and intrigue. Highly recommended for those seeking a fascinating read that seamlessly builds upon its predecessors while offering a fresh and exhilarating narrative experience.
Pages: 369 | ASIN : B0CVDCLBXB
THE DARK SIDE OF WRITING
Readers often enjoy happy-ending stories, but everyone craves stories with intrigue, nail-biting dilemmas, and unusual storylines. Since the beginning of time, humans have told (as well as listened to) the tales that weave unusual and unexpected ‘dark’ threads together. Sometimes these stories become a golden fabric by the end of the weaving.
As writers, wanting to explore the entire spectrum of emotion, for this story we wanted to check out the dark side of a storyline, even if it was just to peek at that edge of murky gloom. Writing about a subject that even scares us (!) was something we wanted to try in Tree Pose.
Tree Pose follows a couple on their dream vacation to Tasmania who end up in a nightmare of mystery, murders and ghosts from the past seeking revenge. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
One of our favorite short stories is The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving. It is hard to top a headless horseman, a shaky schoolmaster named Ichabod Crane, a night of relentless shadows, a discarded hat on the ground, and the remains of a shattered pumpkin.
As one of the components of Tree Pose, we created a short ghost story. And Tasmania gave us all the elements to build that ghost story. Several Australian states were used as a penal colony starting with the arrival of the first British fleet in 1788. Tasmania was an isolated island at the lower end of Australia reserved for prisoners deemed the worst, or even just recalcitrant at being ‘transported for life’.
The mixture of a naturally beautiful island with the brutality of the prison system led to the desperation and hopelessness felt by the men, women, and children convicts locked up in Tasmania. These images provided us with a ‘ghostly’ backdrop for this embedded story. It also helped to visit the remnants of the prison buildings which are spread throughout Tasmania. Many have what are called ‘nightly ghost walks’ and guides recounting the horrid tales of the past.
Ghosts became a theme within the entire story line. Elaina picks off a leaf from Ric’s clothes that is from an iconic Australian Ghost Gum tree. There is a joke between Ric and Elaina about ‘The Ghost of Christmas Past’ and the movie Ghostbusters. The ghosts from Ric’s past have haunted him throughout the first three books.
Ric and Elaina, our protagonists, move between the joy and elation of their budding romance to dealing with a past that haunts them both. This includes dark secrets Ric cannot reveal. While Ric and Elaina share the beauty of coming together there is a darkness—from hitmen to multiple warnings, to ghost stories. These are wrapped up and delivered within the storyline.
And that is why the dedication in the eBook and Audiobook is in part: To All Ghosts – Past, Present, and Future. There is nothing like ghosts to help explore the darkness … and light within a story.
How did you come up with the idea for the antagonist in this story, and how did it change as you wrote?
There are four main antagonists in Tree Pose. Two remain a threat throughout the story, two turn out to be different than expected. We wanted to use these changing patterns contrasted against a combination of people caught in the throes of life altering events.
The events of the story help create the varying feelings of regret, hatred, seeking revenge and settling a score among the different antagonists.
Both authors have had varied backgrounds including working and living in various parts of the world. This includes military service, law enforcement, restoring a presidential yacht, cleaning up hazardous waste sites and working in Middle Eastern oil production areas with live minefields … just to name a few. With that background we have seen a variety of antagonists of varying degrees, as well as done significant research in various psychological realms. Further we drew on personal experience for the some of the emotions of the antagonists in Tree Pose.
But like all humans, changes do occur over time. The raw motive of revenge, the elements of pity, self-doubt and remorse, and finally redemption, which can turn a character from a vengeful monster into a caring human. But not all characters make this transition. Their storyline thus becomes a tragedy.
Was there a reason why you chose this location as the backdrop for your story?
The Australian island-state of Tasmania is well known as a tourist destination, a ‘go-to place’ for throngs of visitors from Australia and from all over the world. It is a stunning part of the world and like no other. While living in Australia, we became fascinated with the state and more so with its dark beginnings and history.
At one point, Tasmania was inhabited by First Nations Australians during the time of lower sea levels when the area had a land connection to the mainland of Australia. But with a sea level rise, those early inhabitants and the flora and fauna were cut off from the mainland. Imagine that for 12,000 years, a few thousand people were isolated and cut off from anyone else on the planet.
When European settlers first arrived, Tasmania was established as a penal colony for the British Government. Men, women, boys, and girls were transported by sailing ships to Tasmania shores.
The crimes were often minor, such as stealing food and clothing. Hardened criminals were also ‘transported for life’. The contrast of Tasmania as a popular destination for tourism, compared to its dark past as a penal colony actually attracted us for this very distinction.
We thought it helped provide the contrast for our main characters coming to a beautiful place to sort some things between out between them, while being met by the darkness and dangers that faced them in Tasmania. It was irresistible.
What is the next book that you are working on, and when will it be available?
We are long term planners and writers. We have produced three eBooks and three audiobooks in three years.
Our next book is Warrior Pose. This book is set in another one of our favorite locations in the world—the islands of New Zealand, and particularly, Nelson, on the South Island.
The next book is also a homecoming for Ric Peters, since he was born in New Zealand. His partner in the crime solving mystery series, Elaina Williams, will be meeting Ric’s parents while there. Does it sound like we think our characters are real? You bet!
New Zealand is an island chain of volcanoes, thermal pools, snowcapped peaks, fertile valleys, and forests spread from the tropical North Island to the cooler alpine climate and topography of the South Island. It has ‘drop dead’ gorgeous scenery, which is perfect for two crime-writers.
As expected, we will explore several themes, and a mysterious death or two. The eBook will include an audiobook some months after, as the previous writings.
As far as the upcoming books, Book 5 is Half Moon pose set in the south of France, Book 6 is Dragon Pose set in Melbourne, Australia and Book 7 is Goddess Pose centered, in Greece and the Mediterranean.
As with all our writing we ground truth all story locations as part of our research. If you see us walking around, we are the ones with cameras, notebooks, measuring tapes … and spare change for the coffees we sample along the way.
The Devil’s Island is living up to its name, serving up the ghosts of its dark past, while Ric is haunted by his own demons. The truth is unravelling, and death is closing in from all sides. And now, it’s stalking Elaina.
Ric’s past is catching up to him, with a vengeful man seeking retribution for a catastrophic blunder in Indonesia. Ric has kept a secret hidden from Elaina, fearing that she will not … cannot, forgive him. That after all they’ve been through, he’s not the man she believes him to be.
In the shadows, a hitman lurks … waiting for the time to strike, unafraid of collateral casualties.
As corrupt officials pull strings and innocents are sold, Ric and Elaina’s life together is threatened. Detective Inspector Jack McMasters races against time to piece together the clues before it’s too late.
A sociopath and an anguished man are closing in. As the lightning strikes, the uncertainties remain … revenge, redemption, or devastation?
Tree Pose is delivered hot with twists and turns, mixed with secrets and attractions, tossed with suspense and revenge, then blended with classic storytelling.
The third book in the Yoga Mat Mysteries series takes readers on a thrilling ride through the beautiful and mysterious island of Tasmania, Australia. The story follows Dead Man’s Pose, set in Sydney, and Cobra Pose, set in Brisbane.
BUY Tree Pose for a captivating mystery with murders, ghosts, and a past that won’t stay buried.
Tree Pose: Yoga Mat Mysteries
Tree Pose, part of the Yoga Mat Mysteries series, is a gripping thriller set against the ominous backdrop of Tasmania, Australia. The story follows Ric Peters and Elaina Williams, whose dream escape turns into a harrowing nightmare on what they soon discover to be aptly named The Devil’s Island. Haunted by the island’s sinister history and his own troubled past, Ric grapples with a dark secret he fears might destroy his relationship with Elaina. As the narrative unfolds, Ric’s past transgressions in Indonesia and the specter of a vengeful figure loom large, complicating his life and putting Elaina in grave danger. Amid this turmoil, a ruthless hitman bides his time, ready to strike, highlighting the pervasive corruption and the perilous situation facing the couple. Detective Inspector Jack McMasters is in a desperate race against time to unravel the clues and save Ric and Elaina. However, the convergence of a sociopath’s plans and a man consumed by anguish makes the outcome uncertain, with revenge, redemption, and devastation all looming possibilities.
Susan Rogers and John Roosen skillfully explore the characters’ backgrounds, unfolding their histories to reveal intrigue and emotional depth, creating a strong bond between them and the reader. The authors excel in vividly depicting diverse settings and nuanced character development. Their writing breathes life into the varied landscapes and the people who inhabit them, making the story rich and immersive. The narrative seamlessly weaves together elements of espionage and suspense with personal and relational dynamics. Subplots, such as Flynn’s tragic Indonesian past and manipulative schemes involving Patterson’s boss, enrich the story’s complexity without overshadowing the characters’ personal growth and struggles. These include Alfred’s evolution from an ecologist to a supportive role in Tasmania, Ric’s internal conflicts, and developing a relationship with Elaina. Francis Holms, a hitman with a troubled history, adds another layer of tension to the novel. The authors counterbalance these darker elements with lighter, humorous episodes, like a birthday party mix-up and an Indian wedding in Tasmania. These scenes not only offer respite but also demonstrate their adeptness in blending suspense, humor, and cultural insight.
Tree Pose is distinguished by its intricate character development and surprising plot twists. It is a narrative that delves into themes of redemption, love, and personal growth, set against the stunning landscapes of Australia and Tasmania. This novel is a compelling read for those who enjoy a mix of suspense, romance, and drama, delivered through a cast of well-developed and intricate characters.
Pages: 369 | ASIN : B0CVDCLBXB
LITERARY TITAN 