It seems that Hairy legs can capture people's imaginations!

I don't mean to go on about this today; however, I am sooo excited. Another amazing review and suddenly people are beginning to write to me about this book. Last night saw a surge in sales because I released an Amazon advertising campaign. In truth I never thought that hairy legs would capture people's imaginations.

Here is the latest review for the audio version:

5.0 out of 5 stars"The Hairy Legged Mystery" soon to be a hairy legged literary hit!

By Felix Winters on September 25, 2016

Format: Audible Audio Edition

"The Hairy Legged Mystery" is a fun story that keeps the reader guessing to figure out to What or Whom the hairy legs belong! After the suspense builds and builds keeping young readers hooked and highly entertained, at last all is revealed in a satisfying and oddly edifying manner. This book has a creative plot premise and is easy for a child to comprehend and enjoy. The characters are all well defined and I thought Lisa Hicks did a great job of bringing them to life using her considerable talent as an audio book reader. My daughter and I both loved listening to the book more than once on Audible and would like to commend both Author and Reader for their successful efforts putting together "The Hairy Legged Mystery." We are looking forward to more from this talented twosome!
Felix Winters

I will be honest after going through the redundancy process for  the last three months, to have such positive feedback on your writing is really appreciated. You know what I am hoping.... yes you have guessed it - that my sales increase to the state where I can work as a full time author... I never thought I would say that... Today I hope this is the turning point...  We will see what happens... Life has its plan, let's hope that mine is the same:)

Time for a little dance!

Enjoy my audio books at the following link:

http://www.audible.com/search/ref=a_hp_tseft?advsearchKeywords=Ruby+allure&filterby=field-keywords&x=0&y=0

AUDIO LINK: http://www.audible.com/pd/Kids/The-Hairy-Legged-Mystery-Audiobook/B01H2HF0XU/ref=a_search_c4_1_2_srTtl?qid=1471619538&sr=1-2

What a wonderful review!!! - Thank you!

When you receive reviews like this you realise that all those struggles you have been through being an author is worth it. Thank you Izzy! I am glad the book gave you and your nephews pleasure! In fact it is a real joy for me when you hear that something you created actually makes people giggle. In my opinion the world needs more laughter!

What makes it amazing is how someone on the other side of the world, who you have never met, is laughing because you wrote something... I love it and that is the joy of being an author!

5.0 out of 5 starsThe storyline of the short book is fun, exciting and imaginative

By Izzy Schwedop on September 11, 2016

Format: Paperback

The storyline of the short book is fun, exciting and imaginative. Allure does a stellar job at creating such vivd characters while letting readers 'get in' on the playing between two siblings.

The characters range from young children to grown adults. Lisa is able to execute these characters so genuinely you sometimes forget that they are all being voiced by one person. Such a true actor! My nephews absolutely loved listening to Lisa's spirited performance and were always kept on their toes wondering what was coming next. They especially loved the way Lisa said Oop Oop and continued to imitate it all day! Lisa skillfully hits all the right marks reading this audiobook and I can't wait to listen to what she comes out with next.

 

AUDIO LINK: http://www.audible.com/pd/Kids/The-Hairy-Legged-Mystery-Audiobook/B01H2HF0XU/ref=a_search_c4_1_2_srTtl?qid=1471619538&sr=1-2

Can having your legs waxed wipe out the electricity in a remote Sri Lankan village?

Can having your legs waxed wipe out the electricity in a remote Sri Lankan village?

One of my great friends is convinced that I got the inspiration for one of my more recent children's books from a leg waxing experience. In fact, she announced on the train that while we were in Sri Lanka that my leg wax caused a static burst that destroyed the electricity connections across a village... She said I was 'The Hairy-Legged Mystery!'

As with all myths, this one started when I looked at my 'holiday' legs and thought they needed a wax. That afternoon, while we were travelling on  a Sri Lankan train, my friend frowned at me and said 'I think those hairy-bad-boys need a wax'. She pointed at my legs rather than any other part of my body. So after travelling across Sri Lanka by train, we came to a lovely village in the mountains. It was here we found a beauty salon that had a rather good waxing menu. So while I volunteered myself for a hair-ripping experience, my great friend negotiated a rather large gin in a giant jar. She was happy to say the least and I knew, being that she was a laughter therapist, that the bar was going to be in laughaceous uproar by the time I returned.

That evening I dubiously I crossed the road and my friend waved with a huge smirk on her face and a jar of gin in her hand. She knew I hated waxing but it was necessary. Legs that resembled cousin IT, from the Adam's family was not attractive and resulted in some terrible tan lines. What's more a hairy halo around one's legs was drawing some rather curious looks from the locals.

So there I am with two lovely Sri Lankan beauticians concealing their hairy horror. The wax was applied and Rrrrip! All the village lights went out. In complete darkness I wondered whether the hair on ones' legs could create an enormous static burst... Who was I to deny the fact that the timing was immaculate? Could one quantum hair destroy a planet? Could a hairy-legged entanglement wipe out a village electricity? 'Oh madam,' said one of the beauticians. The pair proceeded to shine their mobile torches and continued with the hair-ripping escapades.

When I was smooth-legged I returned to the bar which was lit by candles and my friend had in fact befriended at least thirty people. She was hysterical because she had been watching me lie on the beauty bench and had awaited the wax. When the lights went out with the first rip she fell about in hysterics. She said I was the only person she knew who could wipe out a remote villages' electricity with one wax strip! With that little experience in mind is it any wonder that unconsciously I wrote a book called 'The Hairy-Legged Mystery?' What is strange for me is that little event had slipped my mind because I have since experienced other rather funny events. The thing is the new cover has been sent through... And when I showed it to my friend she fell about laughing. She said that the image reminded her of Sri Lanka and how my legs looked prior to waxing.. Well we all get inspiration from somewhere! So The Hairy-Legged mystery creation myth can now be related to a remote village having a complete static burst from one pair of hairy legs!

LINK TO THE HAIRY LEGGED MYSTERY:

http://www.audible.com/pd/Kids/The-Hairy-Legged-Mystery-Audiobook/B01H2HF0XU/ref=a_search_c4_1_2_srTtl?qid=1471619538&sr=1-2

NEW 5 STAR REVIEW ON TINGLE DINGLE AND THE LITTLE MISCHIEFS

The First 5 Star Review on Tingle Dingle and The Little Mischiefs

      06-17-16

Susan L. Daniels 06-17-16

SD

"Nice book for my grandchildren"

Where does Tingle Dingle and the Little Mischiefs rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

I haven't listened to very many but I loved the way the narrator added sound effects. Even though this is a childrens' book I thorough enjoyed listening to it.

What did you like best about this story?

The sound effects

What about Triera Holley’s performance did you like?

Her voice is soothing and clear.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Not particularly.

Ruby Allure BOOKS ON AUDIBLE.COM
http://www.audible.com/search/ref=a_mn_mt_ano_tseft__galileo?advsearchKeywords=Ruby+Allure&x=0&y=0 

NEW RELEASE: TINGLE DINGLE AND THE LITTLE MISCHIEFS

 https://www.amazon.com/Tingle-Dingle-Little-Mischiefs-Allure-ebook/dp/B01G9C0XC2?ie=UTF8&keywords=Ruby%20Allure&qid=1465049617&ref_=sr_1_1&sr=8-1

NEW RELEASE: THE HAIRY-LEGGED MYSTERY

https://www.amazon.com/Hairy-Legged-Mystery-Ruby-Allure-ebook/dp/B01G2C0Y9Q?ie=UTF8&qid=1465049724&ref_=sr_1_2&s=digital-text&sr=1-2

The Hairy-Legged Mystery Voice Sample..

The Hairy-Legged Mystery,

Narrated by Lisa Hicks

One afternoon, while Ben and Jenny play in the garden, Ben notices a pair of extremely hairy legs belonging to a huge creature hiding in their hedge. Just as they investigate, they are called in for tea. From that moment on, the pair attempt to determine what the creature is.
During the night, they watch from their bedroom window and can see the outline of a hairy shape lurking in the darkness. It had to be a monster didn't it? What did that monster want? The whole thing was turning into a mystery. Why had the cucumber patch been destroyed? Had the creature taken the fruit bowl? Why would the prize roses be beheaded? Was the creature trying to get their attention? The whole thing had turned into a hairy-legged mystery!

Link TO THE AUDIO BOOK:
http://www.audible.com/pd/Kids/The-Hairy-Legged-Mystery-Audiobook/B01H2HF0XU/ref=a_search_c4_1_1_srTtl?qid=1466355259&sr=1-1#publisher-summary

An Interview with Lisa Hicks, the voice behind The Hairy Legged Mystery!

An Interview with Lisa Hicks,  the voice behind The Hairy Legged Mystery!

This week The Hairy-Legged Mystery burst onto the audiobook market and made a hugely hairy impact. With the audio fluffaciousness reaching the masses,  I felt that the world like to know a bit more about Lisa Hicks - the voice artist and producer behind the audiobook. Lisa trained as an actor, spent several years acting on stage, in TV and film, and then became an elementary school librarian.  I guess you want to know a little bit more than that... So here are some questions that will give you a better insight.

Q: How did you get into producing audiobooks?

I love “Kid Lit”, I love reading it, I love listening to it and I love being a matchmaker – finding just the right book for each kid.  Part of my job in the library was to read aloud to the students, and they enjoyed my readings as much as I enjoyed performing books for them. 

I am also an avid audiobook listener.  I listen during car trips, while walking and while doing housework.  When a narrator “gets” the author’s voice, then has the skills to communicate that voice, it is magic and I am transported into the book in a powerful way. 

A few years ago I began to wonder if I could combine my acting training, experience with kids, love of books and technical skills to become a narrator myself.  It has been two years of a roller-coaster-learning-curve, but I am enjoying the ride! 

Q: What do you look for when choosing to work on an audio book?  

For the moment I am sticking with what I know – kids’  ‘tween and teen books, but I feel sure I will branch out with experience.   I look for books which respect the intelligence of the audience.   I will not audition for a book if I feel the author is talking down to the young reader, or manipulating a reader of any age.

Q: What are some of your funniest/ weirdest and most awkward experiences within audio production? 

Hmm…  I’m something of a newbie.  Check back with me in a couple of years ;-)

Q: What was it about The Hairy-Legged Mystery books that appealed?

I fell in love with the characters and their family life.  I wanted to be in that family where the kids love to play outside, where they think fast, take risks and back each other up.  Hats off to their working parents, who manage to give their kids space, but hang with them at bedtime too, telling wildly imaginative stories. 

Also, I should mention Ruby that your writing style makes narrating easy.  You have a natural conversational tone with realistic dialogue, which made the job of a narrating this book an absolute pleasure.

Q: What are your favourite bits of The Hairy-Legged mystery that the readers should listen out for? 

Listen for the tea-time scene in which Ben and Jenny hide the creature under the table.   While banana peels and orange skins fly, the pair try to cover the sounds and distract their parents from discovering their secret.

Q: What advice do you have for authors intending to produce audiobooks?

GO FOR IT!  The audiobook audience is growing.  There are people like me who listen while doing mindless tasks, people who are learning English and will use your book to improve their language skills, and there are brilliantly intelligent people who are dyslexic and who appreciate a good read minus the agro of decoding .  GO FOR IT!

LINK TO THE HAIRY LEGGED MYSTERY ON AUDIO:
http://www.audible.com/pd/Kids/The-Hairy-Legged-Mystery-Audiobook/B01H2HF0XU/ref=a_search_c4_1_9_srTtl?qid=1466104902&sr=1-9

Ruby Allure BOOKS ON AMAZON.COM - https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=dp_byline_sr_ebooks_1?ie=UTF8&text=Ruby+Allure&search-alias=digital-text&field-author=Ruby+Allure&sort=relevancerank

Ruby Allure BOOKS ON AUDIBLE.COM
http://www.audible.com/search/ref=a_mn_mt_ano_tseft__galileo?advsearchKeywords=Ruby+Allure&x=0&y=0 

NEW RELEASE: TINGLE DINGLE AND THE LITTLE MISCHIEFS

 https://www.amazon.com/Tingle-Dingle-Little-Mischiefs-Allure-ebook/dp/B01G9C0XC2?ie=UTF8&keywords=Ruby%20Allure&qid=1465049617&ref_=sr_1_1&sr=8-1

NEW RELEASE: THE HAIRY-LEGGED MYSTERY

https://www.amazon.com/Hairy-Legged-Mystery-Ruby-Allure-ebook/dp/B01G2C0Y9Q?ie=UTF8&qid=1465049724&ref_=sr_1_2&s=digital-text&sr=1-2

WRITE.PRODUCE. RELEASE...

WRITE. PRODUCE. RELEASE.

I am very lucky because I have a friend who is quite brilliant. This friend managed to simply accumulate wealth. She does not have to try... Money quite literally gravitates to her. It is amazing. The thing is, because she is removed from the wasted mental energy needed to pay bills and make ends meet, she provides some fantastic insights. Last night's insight was about why we do things. What is our motivation? How does that motivation change as we mature?

Admittedly we have both matured in the last ten years. The way we approach things have changed dramatically. She has watched my writing journey with amusement. In the beginning there were heady ideals and great aspirations which gradually whittled away to become the purity of creation. My delusional ideals were quite hilarious now when I look back; however, they are what drove me to write daily. They motivated me to create discipline and conquer the inner critic, the inner saboteur and the deluded grandiose egotism that demanded that I prove to the world that I was special. I now write anonymously because I have no desire to be known. That is quite a reverse of the dream of standing in the spotlight!

On my journey I realised that I knew less than I thought, that ego was a dick and that actually the outcome is nothing in comparison to the beauty of being immersed in creativity. For me creativity is like being suspended in this beautiful light space where everything is possible. It is a space filled with magic, dreams, laughter and manifestation. I love it there. It has fairies, mythological creatures and all manner of hero waiting to take part in adventures. All the pieces of the puzzle are suspended in all directions and it my job to waft around the creative realm pulling all the pieces together into an adventurous narrative.

Over the years I must have written about forty books. Not bad going. I think about twelve are on the market, the thing is I actually stopped caring about the market, the acclaim or money. I have a good job which takes the pressure off the writing. The funny thing is when you stop caring about money or acclaim they come to you... What I have learned is there is a sense of privilege in being able to provide entertainment for others. There is a great feeling of gratitude in being given a creative idea that can run to completion and more than anything there is the true love of dreaming and imagining.

My friend then, in her own special way, pointed out creativity and writing was the opportunity to 'give' something of you to the world. That creativity is between you and your maker; however, once made you can share your creation with the world. That is why I publish the work - to share and to come to completion. Another great learning is that no one owes you anything, no one needs to read your work and no one owes you an income from what you create... This then leads people to the question then why create at all? THE ANSWER IS JOY AND THAT YOU ARE COMPELLED TO CREATE. Creativity has picked you to be the vessel to transmute an idea into reality. Isn't that a privilege?

This goes back to my friend and her insight: she arrived at a point in her life where she no longer needs to toil. Simplicity became the answer. She came to the conclusion after numerous successes that they meant nothing. The mastery comes from finding beauty in the mundane and when you master that then what do you need? It is funny how we both arrived at the same conclusion from very different paths. I was always competitive and taking part in sports competitions whilst writing books and climbing the career ladder. At the same time she set up businesses, developed property and had a family. Two very different paths but one conclusion - the joy is truly in the journey and learning to be authentic. By taking such paths we are open to learn who we truly are. At first we may aspire to be something or to have something. Yet the journey reveals us all the facets of self. During the journey we discover new pieces of the puzzle which can be slotted into the spaces that needed to be filled. During the journey we see our shadows and conquer our own dragons in search of the treasure. However, we are the treasure and yet we have looked outside for that validation. So with all that in mind, my approach is WRITE. PRODUCE. RELEASE. Today The Hairy Legged Mystery was released on audio. Fantastic job Lisa. Thanks for being the voice of the story! The amazing thing is that it already sells and I guess that is because I loved writing it. Those who have read it say they can feel the fun in it. What more can you want than that? People ask me about the money side of things - that is no longer the motivation - it is nice; however, the royalties become the by-product of the joy I felt in the creation. The value for me now is in creativity because ultimately money is a piece of paper with a stranger's face on that is used for exchange. Money is not the motivation the experience is and that is when things truly changed...

LINK TO THE HAIRY LEGGED MYSTERY ON AUDIO:
http://www.audible.com/pd/Kids/The-Hairy-Legged-Mystery-Audiobook/B01H2HF0XU/ref=a_search_c4_1_9_srTtl?qid=1466104902&sr=1-9

The Hairy-Legged Mystery

The Mystery of The Hairy-legged Mystery...

Okay I admit it - when I wrote The Hairy-legged Mystery I was not expecting to publish it. I wrote it as a bit of fun to read to my friend's children. I wanted to provide a real sense of mystery for five to seven year olds... I also intended to make it a joy / amusing for my best friends to read to their little ones... They know me well and are aware I have a certain sense of humour. Of course they expected some rather random events that would make them smile. Well it seems that a book about hairy legs seems to have proven popular with the kiddies and parents -  so I put it on Kindle. To make it even more exciting an audio producer has snapped it up in the last hour to produce on audio... So something is going on with it:) Oh God - imagine after writing all my other books that I get known for a hairy-legged mystery. That is hysterical in itself!

Here is the synopsis:

One afternoon, while Ben and Jenny play in the garden, Ben notices a pair of extremely hairy legs belonging to a huge creature hiding in their hedge. Just as they investigate they are called in for tea. From that moment on the pair attempt to determine what the ‘creature’ is. During the night they watch from their bedroom window and can see the outline of a hairy shape lurking in the darkness. It had to be a monster didn’t it? What did that monster want? The whole thing was turning into a mystery. Why had the cucumber patch been destroyed? Had the creature taken the fruit bowl? Why would the prize roses be beheaded? Was the creature trying to get their attention? The whole thing had turned into a hairy legged mystery!

FIRST CHAPTER:

The Hairy-legged Mystery

By Ruby Allure

Copyright Ruby Allure 2016

All rights fall with Ruby Allure

For the ‘little dudes’ that find my random stories amusing.

Thank you for making me give this to the world!

  

CHAPTER 1

HAIRY HEDGES

What was that wriggling in the hedge?

Ben, a scruffy bean-pole of a boy aged nine, paused and picked up his ball. The sun had finally come out and the smell of damp grass and earth hung in the air. He glanced back at his little sister, Jenny, who was coated in mud. Her curly dark hair was encrusted against her face and her green eyes looked impatient as usual. She stood with her hands on her hips waiting because she wanted to play! With a Shhh! sign Ben waved her over and pointed. With a frown and a stomp she trampled over. ‘Come on!’ she said irritably. Ben made another Shhh! sign.

“What?” Jenny whispered.

With a confused look she followed his gaze and listened. There it was again, a rustling, a snorting and a gulping. What was it? “Oooop, ooop…”

The brother and sister crouched down and peered at the bracken beneath the hedge. Two very hairy legs with dark feet that looked like long sultanas stood in some mud. The pair glanced at each other.  They had never seen anything like it before.

“What is it?” mouthed Jenny.
“It’s not human,” Ben replied with a shrug. There was definitely some kind of creature close by. Had it emerged from the forest beyond their garden? Did they dare find out?

 “Tea time!” called their mother.

The pair stood up and did not know what to do. Should they tell their parents or should they find out more?
“Come on kids” said their father strolling out onto the patio. “What’s so exciting that you want to stay outside instead of have your tea?”
“Nothing!” They both replied at the same time.

Their father studied them with a certain look on his face.

“Nothing eh?” Well then you best get in for your tea. “I made Lasagne and your mother made fruit trifle.”

There was definitely something there...

LINK TO THE HAIRY-LEGGED MYSTERY on AMAZON.COM

https://www.amazon.com/Hairy-Legged-Mystery-Ruby-Allure-ebook/dp/B01G2C0Y9Q/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1464089906&sr=8-1&keywords=The+hairy+legged+mystery

LINK To THE HAIRY LEGGED MYSTERY ON AMAZON.CO.UK

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Hairy-Legged-Mystery-Ruby-Allure-ebook/dp/B01G2C0Y9Q/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1464087002&sr=8-2&keywords=Ruby+Allure