Author Guest Post with Marie Judson: Braided Dimensions

Celtic mythology, medieval history, and modern-day mystery blend in this story where past and present collide.

Welcome to the April 1st stop on the blog tour for Braided Dimensions by Marie Judson with Goddess Fish Promotions. Be sure to follow the rest of the tour for spotlights, reviews, more guest posts, and a giveaway! More on that at the end of this post.

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Author Guest Post

Major Shock while Editing Audio Book

There’s nothing like working on an audio book to hear every flaw, every possible mistake in a book. I was settling in for a good listen to the second half of a fantasy sci fi book (Book 2 in my Lost Xentu series) and discovered something no author ever wants to encounter. During the final editing for the paperback and ebook, I thought I made a really good chop to the middle, to tighten the story. Listening to the lovely voice of my narrator, Sarah Edwards, I realized the condensed transition into Part II made it dry and too explainy! The story had lost some rich character development and story stages! I went back to the original text and found I’d dropped juicy parts! Unwilling to let that stand, I spent my Sunday afternoon unexpectedly syphoning scenes back in, section by section. The thrill was seeing the texture of the story come back to life.

In general, I love the editing process and trust that the right changes will come to me. I hear them in my head. When another person is involved, such as the audio book narrator, I worry about asking for re-dos when they’re my fault. This one was really needed, though. Once the additional chapters are recorded, I’ll have to then send out the manuscript for new layout, the artist will have to resize the cover, then I’ll republish. I feel bad that some people have read the book in a less appealing form. But I have to figure more readers are yet to come. Now it has the sea elf’s point of view in Part II, which I think adds a lot to the story.

This has been a year of revising. I’ve been relaunching all my books, one by one, as well as launching new. Do you think a writer ever feels certain that a book is the best it can be? I do come to a point where I feel sure it’s ready enough. But I think one can always discover something! There’s no better way than listening to the audio book.

I suspect what needs fixing often rides around in our subconscious. Self-publishing requires courage, to plunge in and put yourself out there, after making myriad decisions. For instance, this year I decided to convert my first book, Braided Dimensions, from first person to third person. I think it did work out better for having a male narrator record the audio book. However, it was a nightmare. The plot is tricky anyway, when Kay lives inside Kyna’s spirit. I worked for years on that, to make it clear. Then in a split second, I made a decision that would lead to months of angst. I’m still making corrections where the she’s aren’t clear—who’s who. That problem does not arise with first person, I vs. she. Though the audio book will keep a few of those awkward moments, it’s a wonderful production and well worth listening to, out soon on Audible.

About the Book

Braided Dimensions
Braided Dimensions Book One
by Marie Judson

Print/eBook
Published 7 February 2024 (2nd Edition)
Indies United Publishing House, LLC
Page Count: 387

Audiobook
Published 28 March 2024
Narrator: Graham Mack
Length: 13 hours and 17 minutes

Genre: Fantasy
Add it to your Goodreads TBR!

Celtic mythology, medieval history, and modern-day mystery blend in this story where past and present collide.

Kay, a professor of ancient languages, finds herself drawn into a hidden realm of magic and danger. Transported to a medieval world on Halloween night, she meets Baird, an enchanging stranger who claims to know her spirit, and Duff, a burly silversmith who welcomes her as Kyna, long-lost kin. Kay joins them in a festive celebration where she discovers she can understand their arcane tongue, as ghostly figures haunt the night.

When dawn comes, she is in her own time, still holding a silver pendant that connects her to Baird and his world. She struggles to return to that time even as Baird is endeavoring to find her and unravel the secret of their connection. Follow Kay and Baird on their journey across dimensions in this novel of intrigue, adventure, and magic.

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Excerpt

Halfway down Partridge Street, moonlight filtered through the lofty branches of old oak tree, revealing a man in a long dark cape leaning against its trunk. Half in shadow, he studied her.

She considered crossing, unnerved by his sudden appearance. But she stopped and took in what appeared to be his costume: under the open cape, he wore an archaic tunic over breeches and worn slouching boots of a bygone era. A light breeze ruffled his long, dark hair streaked with silver. Dim half-moon rays etched his lightly bearded face.

They stared at each other, the only sound a breeze rustling in dry oak leaves above. The smell of wood fires wafted on the wind.

Fluidly, he pushed himself from the tree trunk and closed the distance between them. She thought she should run. Yet, something emanated from him—almost…a familiarity.

He looked down at her, eyes warm and intense. He smelled of the woods and wild winds. She breathed in deep.

“Why d’ ye dress yerself so, sister?” His voice, deep and sonorous, sent shivers through her. Something from the past hovered out of reach, a chaos of elusive images. A cottage. Herbs hanging from rafters. Faint voices. A smell—was it peat smoke?

Deep longing filled her. “It’s just…” Her voice came out a squeak. She tried again. “It’s my Halloween costume. You know.” She indicated her monk’s robe, bulging with pillows.

There was a somber deliberateness about his every breath as he waited, seemingly for a different answer.

Excerpt

Halfway down Partridge Street, moonlight filtered through the lofty branches of old oak tree, revealing a man in a long dark cape leaning against its trunk. Half in shadow, he studied her.

She considered crossing, unnerved by his sudden appearance. But she stopped and took in what appeared to be his costume: under the open cape, he wore an archaic tunic over breeches and worn slouching boots of a bygone era. A light breeze ruffled his long, dark hair streaked with silver. Dim half-moon rays etched his lightly bearded face.

They stared at each other, the only sound a breeze rustling in dry oak leaves above. The smell of wood fires wafted on the wind.

Fluidly, he pushed himself from the tree trunk and closed the distance between them. She thought she should run. Yet, something emanated from him—almost…a familiarity.

He looked down at her, eyes warm and intense. He smelled of the woods and wild winds. She breathed in deep.

“Why d’ ye dress yerself so, sister?” His voice, deep and sonorous, sent shivers through her. Something from the past hovered out of reach, a chaos of elusive images. A cottage. Herbs hanging from rafters. Faint voices. A smell—was it peat smoke?

Deep longing filled her. “It’s just…” Her voice came out a squeak. She tried again. “It’s my Halloween costume. You know.” She indicated her monk’s robe, bulging with pillows.

There was a somber deliberateness about his every breath as he waited, seemingly for a different answer.

About the Author

Marie Judson is a schoolteacher on the wild coast of Northern California. Language and the mind are her passions. An ardent fantasy reader since childhood, she also loves singing, dream work, and crashing waves. Follow her blog at https://mariejudson.com/

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Giveaway Alert!

Marie Judson will award an epub copy of one of her books to a randomly drawn winner.

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