Jody R

New Audiobook!

Sunlight on Cedar Creek is now available in audiobook! See the book page for updated links as it goes live in online stores.

I’m hoping to roll out the contemporary summer books by June. If that goes well, I’ll work my way through the remaining contemporaries by the end of September. So stay tuned for updates.

Now Available on Audiobook!

You can now get Work-Crush Balance in audiobook format!

This short story was the perfect project to experiment with digital voice narration. I’m really pleased with the outcome.

I got started down this road because I struggle with horrendous insomnia. Among other things, it has really interfered with my writing. When I’m foggy-headed from lack of sleep, creativity doesn’t happen. One of the strategies I’ve tried is listening to audiobooks. When those aren’t available, I’ve listened to Kindle’s text-to-speech. That sparked my interest in digital narration.

AI-generated narration has become astonishingly realistic. But don’t take my word for it. Click the image above, and listen to the opening of the story.

I am seriously considering creating audiobooks for my contemporary books. At this time, the distribution options are limited. Kobo is the only distribution channel that allows publishing finished audiobooks. (Apple and Google require using their voices and process, which would mean re-creating a different version for each store.) I’m confident more options will open up as AI narration becomes more widely accepted. Until then, I’m happy to distribute through Kobo.

It’s a new and exciting audiobook game. Stay tuned.

Audio Blurbs

Like everyone else on the planet, I’ve been experimenting with artificial intelligence (AI). I know what you’re thinking—because I don’t have my own. Fair enough. Anyway… I’ve been really impressed by the quality of AI narration, so I’ve provided narrations to some of my book blurbs. 

Take a listen! You can also find them on my new Soundcloud page.

Coming in February!

This short story is a little Valentine’s gift for my reading community. It’s only available to J.L. Jarvis Journal subscribers, so click Book News in the menu above to sign up, and you’ll be one of the first to receive this in February!

What if you could know the day you’d fall in love — and then call in sick to avoid it?

Ella has anguished over her secret crush on the guy in the opposite cubicle. With one calm but deep glance, he can make her shy heart shiver.

After pining away for a year, Ella’s heart is so far gone that she sometimes wishes she’d never met him. But when they get stuck in an elevator on Valentine’s Day, all of that changes.

Follow Ella and Jack as fate catches them by surprise in this sweet and stirring romantic short story.

Changes In Store(s)

Amazon Kindle Unlimited

For years, I’ve worked hard to ensure my books would be available on multiple platforms, but the current economy has prompted me to make a difficult business decision. Most of us are feeling the pinch of inflation and impending recession. As much as I write because I simply love it, love isn’t enough to publish a book. At this time, the best way for me to continue to share the books I love to write is to shift to a different business model. I am phasing my ebooks into Amazon’s Kindle Unlimited (KU) program. The KU subscription model works for many readers on a budget. For non-KU readers, my books will still be available for purchase on Amazon. The audiobooks and paperbacks remain unchanged. For more information on Kindle Unlimited, click here.

The Red Rose: Update

Play Video

Fair Weather Beggar, Claire Hastings

While procrastinating—I mean taking a break from diligently toiling away at the keyboard and periodically wiping my brow—I dropped some little hints about my next book, The Red Rose

  • I’ve added a page for the book. Just click “Coming Next” up there in the menu.
  • I’ve created a Pinterest board, which I’ve done for a number of my books. It’s particularly helpful for this book because so many of the locations are real or inspired by real places I’ve enjoyed during my almost annual visits to Edinburgh (Covid notwithstanding). So I’ll be updating that with location pics.
  • I’m continuing to update my writing playlist. Again, this is something I create for every book, but they’re usually just for my own inspirational use as I write. This one, however, I’ve shared because it directly relates to the subject matter—which you’d know if you subscribed to the J.L. Jarvis Journal. (Click “News” in the menu to sign up.) You can find the playlist on The Red Rose web page with links to the YouTube, Spotify, and Tidal playlists.
  • Since the last issue of The J.L. Jarvis Journal went out, I’ve discovered a new artist, Claire Hastings, and her song, “Fair Weather Beggar,” with a music video coincidentally shot in some key locations for my book. Watching this should really put you in the mood for The Red Rose
  • If you like what you hear, support the artists by buying their music.