Welcome to one of the March 8th stops on the blog tour for Broomsticks and Board Games by Amy McNulty, organized by Audiobookworm Promotions. Be sure to follow the rest of the tour for spotlights, audio excerpts, interviews, and more!
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About the Book
Broomsticks and Board Games
Spooky Games Club Book One
by Amy McNulty
Print/eBook
Published 29 September 2020
Crimson Fox Publishing
Page Count: 220
Audiobook
Published 5 January 2021
Crimson Fox Publishing
Length: 7 hours 4 minutes
Narrator: Danielle Daly
Genre: Cozy Mystery, Paranormal
Add it to your Goodreads TBR!
Dahlia Poplar is a genuine witch, an unofficial gofer, and Luna Lane’s only cursed resident.
With a werewolf best friend, a vampire ex-boyfriend, and a ghost for a hanger-on, Dahlia is far from the most unusual dweller of her sleepy small town, but she’s the only one unable to leave. Dahlia has to perform at least one good deed per day – or she’s one step closer to turning to stone.
Fortunately, the residents of Luna Lane have plenty of tasks for Dahlia to complete to avert the curse until Cable Woodward, fetching professor and nephew of her elderly neighbor, stops by for the semester on sabbatical. Attempting to help Cable’s uncle work through the trauma of losing his wife, Dahlia uncovers the man’s collection of board games, which leads to him reminiscing about the long-forgotten Luna Lane Games Club.
Dahlia reestablishes the Games Club, only to find evidence of a number of horrible demises connected to the original group. While trying to uncover the truth about the deaths, Dahlia has to fight off her curse, protect her elderly neighbor from becoming the next victim, and most vexing of all, keep Cable from figuring out Luna Lane’s supernatural secrets.
Only, with eerie board games like these, there may not be a loser – or even a winner – who survives.
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My Review
My Rating: 5 Stars
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I was granted complimentary access to Broomsticks and Board Games via Audiobookworm Promotions as part of my participation in a blog tour for this title. Thank you to all involved in affording me this opportunity! My thoughts are my own and my review is honest.
Dahlia is a witch who must perform one good deed each day in order to ward off the curse that’s slowly turning her to stone. She also can’t leave town. Fortunately for Dahlia, this down is mostly populated by other paranormal beings and everyone is aware of her predicament, so there’s no shortage of townsfolk asking her to lend a hand. When Cable Woodward, the very mundane nephew of her ageing neighbour shows up in town around the same time that Dahlia catches wind of trouble in the spirit world and evidence of an old murder turns up in her own back yard, Dahlia fears that everything is about to unravel. Can she solve the mysteries popping up around her? Can she get this nosy mundane off her back and protect her paranormal town from the outside world? And what’s with the Clue-knockoff boardgame her ageing neighbour is suddenly so desperate for the town to sit down and play?
This is a quick and easy read, and it’s so much fun! There are no dull moments to be found, and this perfect blend of fantasy world-building, elements of mystery, romantic teases, and great friendships all add up to a nerdy dream that demands to be read (or listened to) all in one sitting. Dahlia is a very likable and relatable main character and the perfect POV for this story. I think my favourite minor detail is the fact that this witch’s very catlike animate broom is actually possessed by the spirit of her first cat. What an adorable detail!
I see that list is labelled as book one and that makes me very excited! Before I noticed that I was going to comment that while this book stands on its own very well and comes to a satisfying conclusion, I don’t want to be done with Dahlia or this town. There’s definitely a lot more that can be done here, and I’ll be back to find out what happens next!
I would recommend this to all lovers of fantasy and cozy mysteries.
In terms of narration performance, Danielle Daly does a wonderful job. This book only contains one POV, so I can’t comment too much on the narrator’s talent at making different voices distinct, but I definitely didn’t have any trouble telling which lines of dialogue were Dahlia vs anyone else, even in places where the written version of this novel might rely on the visual indicators of paragraph breaks. Daly’s voice and pacing were perfect for the story, and I listened quite comfortably at my usual 1.5x playback speed.
5 stars all around!
Narrator Interview
When did you know you wanted to be an audiobook narrator?
I started out narrating short fiction in 2011 for Cast of Wonders, a young adult speculative short fiction podcast. That’s how I learned about ACX, which opened up the possibility to record audiobooks. That was 2012, a year after the platform launched.
How did you wind up narrating audiobooks? Was it always your goal or was it something you stumbled into by chance?
Once I learned about ACX, I jumped at the chance to audition for audiobooks! In the fall of 2012, I auditioned for, and got, my first audiobook contract! That was for a novelette, so the length was close to what I was used to with the podcasts. I narrated a novella very shortly after that. A throat issue had sidelined me for a short while, but I am excited to be back in the booth for longer projects now.
Did you find it difficult to “break into” audiobook narration? What skill/tool helped you the most when getting started?
I’m still trying to make a name for myself! Finding the right books to narrate isn’t easy, but I got very lucky when I came across Amy McNulty and The Spooky Games Club Mysteries!
A lot of narrators seem to have a background in theatre. Is that something you think is essential to a successful narration career?
Essential? Not at all. I don’t have a theatrical background, but I can absolutely see how it would be beneficial!
Are you an audiobook listener? What about the audiobook format appeals to you?
I am a voracious audiobook listener! I love the format, and find it to be kind of an intimate way to read books. A great narrator can make a book an exquisite experience.
What are your favorite and least favorite parts of narrating an audiobook?
The least favorite is easy. The editing. It takes a LOT of work to make a professional sounding audiobook! My favorite thing is how close it takes me into the stories I read. I have to know all of the characters, and their motivations. It’s a super fun challenge at times.
What about this title compelled you to audition as narrator?
As soon as I started reading the audition script for Broomsticks and Board Games, I knew I wanted to narrate the book. Even if I wasn’t chosen as the narrator, I knew I would want to read it! I just loved the tone, the style, the brief glimpse of the characters Dahlia and Cable…I fell in love.
Has anyone ever recognized you from your voice?
Sort of! I met a few “fans” of my podcast work at adult summer camp a couple of years ago! That was great!
If you could narrate one book from your youth what would it be and why?
Even though the main voice of the book is male, I would love to narrate The Outsiders. It’s the first book I ever read more than once.
What do you say to those who view listening to audiobooks as “cheating” or as inferior to “real reading”?
I’d remind them that print books are inaccessible to many people, and to ask them to allow people to enjoy the things they like!
About the Author
Amy McNulty is an editor and author of books that run the gamut from YA speculative fiction to contemporary romance. A lifelong fiction fanatic, she fangirls over books, anime, manga, comics, movies, games, and TV shows from her home state of Wisconsin. When not editing her clients’ novels, she’s busy fulfilling her dream by crafting fantastical worlds of her own.
Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Amazon | Goodreads
Danielle Daly hails from Long Island, New York but hopes you can’t tell that when she’s reading to you. Grateful for her many years of experience in narrating stories for various short story fiction podcasts, the opportunity to narrate audiobooks for a wider audience is a dream come true.
Tour Schedule
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Thank you for sharing! I’m so glad you liked it!