Category: An AudioBook Worm Promotion - 2 Girls & A Book

Audiobookworm Promotions ~ When We Were Brave by Karla M. Jay

9/27/2020

Author: Karla M. Jay
Narrator: Gary Bennett
Length: 14 hours 34 minutes
Publisher: Cedar House Audio Productions⎮2020
Genre: Historical Fiction
Release date: Aug. 24, 2020

In WHEN WE WERE BRAVE, we find a conflicted SS officer, Wilhelm Falk, who risks everything to escape the Wehrmacht and get out the message about the death camps. Izaak is a young Jewish boy whose positive outlook is challenged daily as each new perilous situation comes along. American citizens, Herbert Müller, and his family, are sent back to the hellish landscape of Germany because of the DNA coursing through their veins. In the panorama of World War II, these are the high-stakes plots and endearing characters whose braided fates we pray will work out in the end.
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About the Author: Karla M. Jay
Karla M. Jay wanted to write books since she was seven. Working as a speech pathologist since 1982, she writes in her spare time and has won many awards over the years. When she is not home in Utah gardening or writing, she is traveling, trying to see as many countries as possible--in particular, those with good coffee, ancient history, and great beaches.
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About the Narrator: Gary Bennett
Gary Bennett is a SAG-AFTRA audiobook narrator with a passion for truly giving the listener a front-row seat to the story. He’s narrated over 60 audiobooks (so far!) for publishers including Harper Audio, Hachette Audio, Tantor, Dreamscape, and others, as well as for multiple independent authors. Born and raised in California and then in Bozeman, Montana, Gary now calls the greater Seattle area his home. He’s an avid outdoor enthusiast and relishes taking advantage of living in the beautiful Pacific Northwest. When he’s not in the booth, you might find Gary flying over the Puget Sound (he’s a Private Pilot) or finding inspiration as an aspiring musician.
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Audiobookworm Promotions: The Tribulations of Augsut Barton by Jennifer LaBlanc

9/23/2020

By: Jennifer LeBlanc
Narrated by: James Oliva
Series: August Barton, Book 1
Length: 4 hrs and 28 mins
Unabridged Audiobook
Release date: 04-20-18
Language: English
Publisher: Jennifer LeBlanc

August Barton could never have mentally prepared himself for his freshman year of college: not only has his anxiety increased, but his parents are divorcing, his new roommate thinks Augie is the biggest nerd in existence, and his grandma, a retired prostitute named Gertie, has taken to running away from her nursing home. Augie just wants to hole up in his dorm room with his Star Wars collectables and textbooks, but Gertie is not about to let that happen. What ensues is a crazy ride, including: naked trespassing, befriending a local biker gang, and maybe - just maybe - Augie defeating his anxiety and actually getting the girl.

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About the Author: Jennifer LeBlanc
Jennifer LeBlanc was born and raised in South Dakota and has always had a knack for story-telling. When not slaying zombies in the gaming world or writing, she can be found getting lost in a good book, doing something crafty, indulging in photography, or relaxing with her husband, two cats, and chihuahua. Jennifer loves animals and supports saving species on the verge of extinction. She currently works in merchant banking and credit services while writing her next project.
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About the Narrator: James Oliva
James Oliva is the creator/writer/director of the audio drama podcast What’s The Frequency? He’s also the voice of Michael Tate on audio podcast drama Greater Boston, Willard on Oak Podcast. James has also had guest appearances on ars Paradoxica, The Strange Case of Starship Iris, Seminar, Big Data, Jim Robbie and the Wanderers, The Haven Chronicles, and Radiation World. He was a finalist for a 2016 and 2017 Audio Verse Award in the acting category.
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Audiobookworm Promotions ~ The Storyteller's Diary by J. Edwards Holt

9/20/2020

Author: J. Edwards Holt
Narrator: Dean Ruple
Length: 5 hours 11 minutes
Publisher: J. Edwards Holt
Genre: Fantasy
Release date: July 02, 2020

Whether you’re looking for mystery, adventure, light-hearted laughs, or even something on the scarier side, The Storyteller’s Diary has it all! Set in the fantasy world of J. Edwards Holt’s Little Men, Big Treasures trilogy, this collection of short stories includes over a dozen tales, featuring all kinds of fantastic mythical creatures like dragons, wizards, elves, and much, much more!

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About the Author: J. Edwards Holt
Born in North Carolina, United States, J. Edwards Holt always knew that he wanted to be a writer. After graduating high school, he attended college and pursued a degree in education, but later decided to change course and follow his dream to become a novelist and children's author.
Now a full-time writer, editor, and blogger, Holt spends his free time dreaming up stories and reading. He is passionate about spreading Christian messages through his writing, watching science fiction and super hero movies, and collecting comic books.
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About the Narrator: Dean Ruple
I've loved to read for as long as I can remember, but I have been in love with the audiobook form since I was 13 years old - I was grounded for the week, but found an old Walkman cassette player and passed the time with some great books. While I have been narrating professionally for less than a year, I already have a number of titles of various genres under my belt. In addition to my work on ACX, I also have experience doing sports announcing for local teams. As a teacher of English for 8 years, I read to and with my students almost every day from a variety of genres. I submitted my first audiobook, Reecah's Flight by Richard H. Stephens, in February of 2020, the culmination of years of dreams and work, and have been going strong since!
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Top 10

1. The Hobbitt
2. The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe
3. The Phantom Tollbooth
4.Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince
5. The Lord of the Rings
6. Alice in Wonderland
7. Eragon
8. A Wrinkle in Time
9. Miss Peregrin’s Home for Peculiar Children
10. The House with a Clock in its Walls

Audiobookworm Promotions ~ What's Growing in my Sour Cream? by Brad Graber

9/17/2020

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Author: Brad Graber
Narrator: Derek Neumann
Length: 3 hours 35 minutes
Publisher: Dark Victory Press⎮2020
Genre: Humor
Release date: May 26, 2020

Why is a fly circling the deli? What can you learn from your dog about aging? Is Mahjong the real game of champions?

If you're a fan of David Sedaris, Erma Bombeck, or Andy Rooney, you'll love Brad Graber's new release What's that Growing in My Sour Cream? - a compilation of over 70 humorous essays on the joys, challenges, and absurdities of life in America. Drawn from Graber's blog "There, I Said It!" Graber introduces listeners to his sharp observations on everyday subjects such as Facebook friends, the odd messages stuffed into fortune cookies, and awkward man hugs. A bold new voice, Graber's humor and wit are on full display in What's that Growing in My Sour Cream?

Interview with Brad Graber

What’s That Growing in My Sour Cream is a compilation of the humorous essays from your blog: There I Said It! How long have you been writing a blog? What was the inspiration?

I’ve been writing the blog since October 2016. I started it after the publication of my debut novel The Intersect as a way to stay connected to readers and to share a bit about myself.

Tell us about the name of the blog? How did you come up with it?

It’s an expression I’ve come to use in my life. Usually, when I’m frustrated. Typically, it comes out of my mouth after I’ve said something that I’ve been struggling not to say. Something that’s really bugging me and finally, I just can’t hold it in any longer. So after I say whatever it is that’s pressing my buttons, there will be a There, I Said It!

You have a variety of everyday topics that you discuss in the blog. Can you share a few with us? And which is your favorite?

I’m pretty attached to them all, but the one that stands out for me is “Why Can’t We Bequeath Our Friends When We Die”. That was written just after my friend Harold passed away. I’d been at the hospital with him and he was surrounded by this amazing group of people. Friends he’d had for over forty years. And each person held a special meaning for him. And as I stood in the room and watched all the love pour forth, I thought about how wonderful it would be to actually inherit some of these wonderful people. It just seems a shame that at the end of our lives we have wills to bequeath worldly possessions but not a way of sharing the lovely people who are the real treasures of our lives.

Why pull these blogs together into one collection? What was the motivation?

At first, I wasn’t sure that I’d do it. But then, I’d heard from readers about how much they enjoy the essays and I began to wonder if there wasn’t an opportunity to gather them together and share them with a wider audience. And when I looked through the collection, I realized that the blog is so much more than just ramblings. Some of the pieces were inspirational. Some were insightful. Some, just clever and witty. That’s when I realized that the collection might actually be fun to read from start to finish.

The pieces tend to run between 350 and 500 words. Is that your preferred style?

Let me just say upfront, if you’re writing a weekly blog, 350 to 500 words feels like more than enough. First, most readers don’t have the time to read every piece. Since my blog is distributed by email, I know the actual click rates. You have to keep it short. Otherwise, no one is going to read it. Also, you have to provide some sort of value-added appeal. Something that brings a smile to the reader’s face. A simple recognition of a truth that we all share. Finally, some essays are written in a matter of an hour or two, others take days of editing till I finally achieve the exact point that I’m trying to make. So the commitment to the work is the same as if you’re writing a novel.

Tell us about humor. Most of the pieces have a unique twist.

They do. And that is what I try for. To squeeze every bit or irony, sarcasm, wisdom, and wit out of each subject matter. I’m not usually asking for feedback. In other words, I’m not anticipating engagement from my audience which according to the experts makes me a poor blogger. But, I’m hoping to bring a smile to the reader. A moment of recognition. That’s my goal. And it’s always an added bonus when someone writes me a note letting me know that they’ve enjoyed a piece. That makes it all worthwhile.

Your bio proclaims that you “grew up in a family where no one never listened to me – so I write fiction to get even”. Is that true?

I grew up in New York City in an eight-story Co-op apartment building with twenty-two families on a floor. My parents had a lot of friends and there were always people around. There was also a lot of talking at the dinner table when our extended family gathered together to discuss the issues of the day or just gossip. I was the youngest, and so I spent hours listening to these conversations, taking it all in. No one held back their opinion. You truly couldn’t get a word in edgewise. These were adults with lots to say and they weren’t shy about saying it. In fact, they were extremely loud. All you could do was try to stay out of the line of fire.

Has that helped shape what is important to you as a writer?

I learned a lot sitting at that kitchen table. I’m all about the human condition. The relationships that we form. How people show up in our lives when we need them most. How injustice presents. How good people cope with injustice. These are the subjects that fascinate me.

What is your next project?

I’ve been working on a third novel, Boca by Moonlight. It’s the story of a widower who must learn how to recreate a life after the death of his wife. It should be available in 2021.

About the Author: Brad Graber
Brad Graber writes novels because he grew up in a family where no one listened to him – so he made up stories about them. He’s the award-winning author of The Intersect and After the Fall, and writes a humor blog: There, I Said It! He currently resides in Phoenix with his husband, Jeff.
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About the Narrator: Derek Neumann
Derek Neumann is actor and voice professional in the recording arts and sciences who has studied at both the American Academy of Dramatic Arts and the British Academy's Midsummer at Oxford’s Shakespeare program.

Audiobookworm Promotions ~ The Unseen Blade by Ambrose Zack Adams

9/10/2020

Author: Ambrose Zack Adams
Narrator: Ivan Andres Ley
Length: 11 hours 23 minutes
Publisher: Kinetic Grappling⎮2020
Genre: Dark Fantasy
Series: The Serpent's Heir, Book 1
Release date: Jun. 11, 2020

When Lucian Draco becomes the youngest person to ever be accepted into the Valiant Minds School of Magic, the fact that magic even exists at all is as much knowledge as he has on the subject. After a lifetime of being sheltered by his father, Lucian is more than ready to learn where he fits into the magical community...but the answer is more complicated than he’s prepared for.
Thrust into a new world of competitions and rivalries, fast friends and faster enemies, Lucian soon discovers he’s no ordinary mage - he’s the living host of a long-dormant spirit called the Dragon of the Mind, born with power and intelligence beyond his wildest dreams. But there’s a reason Lucian’s father kept the truth of this power hidden from his own son, and it’s not the only secret being kept. With supernatural threats looming on the horizon, including a bloodthirsty vampire aching to restart an ancient war, getting through school is about to become the least of Lucian’s worries.

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About the Narrator: Ivan Andres Ley
Audio book narrator Ivan Andres Ley was born in 1992 and grew up in McKinney, Texas. From his earliest days, Ley’s parents and grandparents instilled a love of reading and a love of listening to others read aloud. He still remembers vividly the times he was sent to dreamland by his grandmother’s readings of Dr. Suess and sitting wide-eyed listening to his father read The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe from C. S. Lewis’s Chronicles of Narnia. Ley’s thirst for reading was never sated, and before long he began to read to others, beginning as early as elementary school by reading to his younger brothers. His love of storytelling and the performing arts led him to study music and stage craft, and he holds a bachelor’s degree in music education from Oklahoma State University and a master’s degree in Vocal Performance from the University of Houston. Ley currently teaches music and performs in operas professionally, but he never forgot his love of reading aloud for others. The Unseen Blade, Book 1 of The Serpent’s Heir is Ley’s first professionally published audio book. He hopes you will enjoy it and look forward to more audio books narrated by him soon.

About the Author: Ambrose Zack Adams
From the time Ambrose Adams was a child, he enjoyed emerging himself in the worlds of fantasy and sci-fi. When reading books, watching television shows or movies, the mysterious worlds and creatures captivated Ambrose’s young mind and left him anticipating the next new realm. While continuing to be an avid reader through his adulthood, Ambrose started to have ideas of new worlds, characters, and stories for books of his own. However, he loathed writing, which made him hesitant and unsure of where to start. After 2 years of research, writing, revisions, more writing, and editing Ambrose wrote his first book – The Unseen Blade Book 1 of the Serpent’s Heir. He is looking forward to the doors this experience has opened and has already started writing the next book. When not engaging in his newfound hobby of writing or spending time with his wonderful family, Ambrose enjoys exercising, gaming, and training. He runs a successful Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu school in College Station, TX. He was born and raised in Indianapolis, IN.
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My Top 10 Literary Inspirations author and their work:

Homer -The Odyssey
William Shakespeare-McBeth specifically
Scott O'Dell - Island of the Blue Dolphins
William Golding- Lord of the Flies
JK Rowling-Harry Potter – Goblet of Fire
Seamus Heaney-Beowulf
Orson Scott Card-Ender’s games
J.R.R. Tolkien - Lord of the Rings
Seven King – Dark tower
Brandon Sanderson – Warbreaker and Reckoner series

Audiobookworm Promotions ~ A Lock of Hair by A. Rose Pritchett

9/8/2020

Author: A. Rose Pritchett
Narrator: Melanie Huesz
Length: 6 hours 7 minutes
Publisher: A. Rose Pritchett⎮2020
Genre: Historical Fiction; Young Adult
Release date: June 11, 2020

Boston, 1846. Eighteen-year-old Mildred Parish, a barber's daughter, practices practical witchcraft using locks of hair obtained from her father's customers. She's very selective about who knows her secret and the kinds of spells she casts. Only people she trusts can know, and she must never cast a spell to harm another person.

One of her father's clients is Theodore O'Brian, an Irish immigrant whose family is fortunate enough to be wealthy. Mildred is head over heels in love with him, but he's destined to be with someone else. One day, a woman named Trinity Hartell comes knocking on Mildred's door. She has a vendetta against an entire family and wants Mildred to cast a death spell on them. The family? The O'Brians, including Theodore. Mildred refuses, but Trinity is set on getting what she wants, one way or another.

Mildred now feels she must protect the O'Brian family and the man she loves, but she must also protect herself. How can she make sure Trinity is stopped without telling the entire city of Boston that she's a witch?

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About the Author: A. Rose Pritchett
A. Rose Pritchett's writing career started in kindergarten when she daydreamed about being a fairy princess instead of learning subtraction. Her childhood obsession with American Girl turned her into an avid history lover.

At seventeen, she moved from her hometown of Charlotte, North Carolina, to Savannah, Georgia, where she earned her BA in writing with a history minor from Georgia Southern University. She continues to live in Savannah, still daydreaming about princesses wearing gorgeous dresses. A LOCK OF HAIR is her debut novel.

Website

Author Interview

Tell us about the process of turning your book into an audiobook.
When I first published my book a year ago, I knew I wanted to turn it into an audiobook, but didn’t know how to go about it. It seemed expensive and I already invested so much into editing and publishing. Then, after some research, I discovered that ACX has a royalty-share program, which means that I pay nothing upfront, but just split my royalties with the narrator. I auditioned a few narrators, and ended up choosing Melanie Huesz because she gave each character a unique voice, which I knew was a major challenge. After all, there are characters from Boston, Ireland and the South. Some are young, some are old, and one has Down Syndrome. After a couple months of back-and-forth, we got an audiobook produced.

Were there any real life inspirations behind your writing?
Mildred’s dog, Nightshade, is inspired by my dog, Isabel. Even though they’re different breeds, Nightshade acts a lot like Isabel. Also, I took a Meyers-Briggs test from Mildred’s POV for the heck of it, and she’s an INFJ like me, so there’s that.
How do you manage to avoid burn-out? What do you do to maintain your enthusiasm for writing?
Contrary to popular advice, I don’t write every day. A lot of times, I’ll switch my focus to one of my many, many hobbies. In fact, part of my routine on days that I write is to take a break to draw or cross stitch, just to be away from the screen. I also allow myself to take “lazy days”, which are days (usually Sunday) where I just do nothing at all except watch cheesy movies and play Sims. It gives my mind a rest so that I’m not half-dead the next time I stare at the little blinking line on the blank screen.

If you had the power to time travel, would you use it? If yes, when and where would you go?
I would definitely use it! I’m such a history nerd and I’m obsessed with the Victorian Age in England and the Belle Epoque in France, so those are the first two places I would go to. Maybe go to a ball or shop for gorgeous gowns. But really, I’d love to see every time period if I could. However, I wouldn’t say I was born in the wrong era, considering that women’s rights, racism, and overall living standards were worse in the past. And I was also born with a disability that requires me to rely on 21st century medicine. If I’d been born in my favorite eras, I probably would not have survived childhood.

How did you celebrate after finishing this novel?
Since it was self-published, I could choose the date it went on sale, and I chose my birthday, September 28th. So really, I kinda ended up celebrating my birthday and publishing my book at the same time in the same way: going to see the Downton Abbey movie and pigging out on popcorn and Nestle Crunch bites.
What gets you out of a writing slump? What about a reading slump?
With a writing slump, definitely movies! Disney movies practically never fail to get me going again, especially Beauty and the Beast and The Little Mermaid. And pretty much any musical. I’m a maladaptive daydreamer, which means that movies and music send me off into lalaland way too easily. Dolls also help me. I still have some from my childhood and I have some collector Barbies. They bring me back to being 8-years-old again, when I was super imaginative. When I’m having a reading slump, I make a conscious effort to crack open my book and read, and I usually end up getting stuck in the story again.

Have any of your characters ever appeared in your dreams?
Haha, yes! The night before I finished my first draft, I had a Lock of Hair/Moana crossover dream. Don’t know how the two are related, but… *shoulder shrug.

Favorites...
Food Does chocolate count?
Song I have a lot, but Primadonna by Marina is pretty much my anthem.
Book The Book Thief. I’m not someone who cries easily, but that book had me sobbing by the end.
Television show The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. I seriously want all the dresses on that show.
Movie This is tough! But I’m gonna have to say Titanic. Cliche, I know, but I get chills watching the opening scene.
Band All of the music I listen to are independent artists, so I don’t really have a favorite band. But some of my favorite singers are Marina, Lana del Rey, and Melanie Martinez.
Sports team Eh, I’m not really a sports fan.
City This is cliche, but Paris. I’ve never been, but I’ve been practically planning my Paris trip ever since I could talk.

Are any of those things referenced in appearance in your work? No. I was mostly inspired by Sweeney Todd and Alias Grace.

About the Narrator: Melanie Huesz
Melanie Huesz is new to audiobook production and narration, but not new to performing. She has an MFA in acting and was a graduate fellow at the Shakespeare Theatre at the Folger. Before moving from the stage to the classroom, her acting roles included ingenues, leading ladies, and character roles.
As a middle school teacher and an avid audiobook listener with more than 300 books in her audio library, Melanie has seen the power of bringing books to life in her classroom and was inspired to return to performing through narration. Drawn to the world of YA, she has spent the summer recording three new novels aimed at young adults.

Audiobookworm Promotions ~ Twelve Mile Bank, Bk 1 By Nicholas Harvey

9/8/2020

Author: Nicholas Harvey
Narrator: Kim Bretton
Length: 7 hours 57 minutes
Publisher: Harvey Books, LLC⎮2020
Genre: Suspense
Series: AJ Bailey Adventure Series, Book One
Release date: Aug. 13, 2020

AJ Bailey was destined to run a dive boat on the beautiful island of Grand Cayman, the Mecca of Caribbean SCUBA diving.
As a young girl in England she was captivated by a story her Navy veteran grandfather told. Now, as she's closer than ever to discovering the long-lost submarine from the story, a wealthy Argentinian arrives; a treasure hunter who’ll stop at nothing to steal the prize.
Can AJ find the wreck in time?
Or will the Argentinian hunter and his ruthless crew beat her to it?
It's a race against time at treacherous depths to uncover the real secret of the lost submarine.

Buy on Amazon⎮Audible

See all the books in the
AJ Bailey Adventure Series

About the Author: Nicholas Harvey
Raised in England, working in America and heading for Grand Cayman. That encapsulates Nicholas Harvey's career that's been dominated by motorsports from an early age as a driver, then race engineer, to senior manager at the top level of motor racing in the States. Poised in the background has been a second career in writing that flourished into his debut novel, Twelve Mile Bank, the first of the AJ Bailey adventure series which combines a passion for diving, an obsession with military history and a love of the Cayman Islands.
Nick and his wife Cheryl can be found touring the world in search of adventure on motorcycles, mountains and dive boats.
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A Note from the Author

These are books that I really enjoyed, inspired me at some point in my life, or influenced Twelve Mile Bank in some way.

Dolphin Island, Arthur C Clarke - Novel - My favourite book as a young boy and I reread it every ten years or so.
Jonathan Livingston Seagull, Richard Bach - Novel - An inspiring book I fell in love with in my late teens.
Into Thin Air, Jon Krakauer - Nonfiction - Believe it or not the story of this disaster helped inspire my desire to climb mountains.
The Book Thief, Markus Zusak - Novel - Who didn’t love this book? Believe it or not, when I first started it I put it down after a chapter or two and didn’t pick it up again for a year. When I did, I couldn’t put it down! Good lesson in how your frame of mind affects your taste.
Shadow Divers, Robert Kurson - Nonfiction - I was already a diver when I read this and it blew me away. One of the pickles they got into influenced a scene in TMB.
Wing Leader, Johnnie Johnson - Biography - I’m not big on heroes as we’re all human and placing people on pedestals tends to cause them to fall off at some point. But this guy was the real deal.
Art of Racing in the Rain, Garth Stein - A great story told in a unique way. I could have put a bunch of racing biographies in this list but settled on this novel to represent my former career - although it has little to do with racing cars!
Skinny Dip, Carl Hiaasen - Novel - Any of Hiaasen’s books are a wonderful escape filled with brilliant humour.
The Few, Alex Kershaw - Non-Fiction - Fuelled my passion for the amazing feats performed in the Battle of Britain.
She's Come Undone, Wally Lamb - Novel - I was deeply moved by this book. I didn’t like his follow-up at all!
Run Silent, Run Deep, Edward L. Beach - Novel - A great story based on Beach’s own experiences in the submarines. Needless to say I’m a bit obsessed with WW2 diesel subs!
Push, Tommy Caldwell - Autobiography - An inspiring story so well told. You don’t have to be a climber to enjoy this book.

About the Narrator: Kim Bretton
Kim is an accomplished and award winning actress and director with West End/Broadway theatre credits. Kim has narrated over 35 audiobooks and counting. She is also an in demand voice over talent in the commercial and corporate arena and owns her own class A recording studio in Nashville. Kim is from the UK but has lived in NYC, L.A. and now Nashville TN. She continues to work in Theatre, Film and TV as an actress and a director alongside narrating audiobooks and commercial voice overs.
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Audiobookworm Promotions ~ Meat Space by Asa Tait

9/4/2020

Author: Asa Tait
Narrator: Christopher Harbour
Length: 7 hours 49 minutes
Publisher: The Parliament House⎮2020
Genre: Science Fiction
Release date: Jul. 13, 2020

Eternal life Inside is a digital paradise if you can make rent. Jim Chord can’t. He already sold off the last of his childhood memories. The love of his life has ghosted him. He has nowhere left to run. When a trillionaire goes missing, Jim has one last shot to track him down and earn a reward that will keep him Inside forever. But the magnate seems to be dead, and that simply doesn’t happen. Not here. Not to someone with money. The solution to this impossible mystery can only be found on the Outside - the grimy, blood-soaked physical world that Jim had happily forgotten. Now he must face the people and sensations he’d abandoned in a world where nothing is free and death is very real.

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About the Author: Asa Tait
Asa is a writer, visual storyteller, and Head of Production at LEGO Entertainment. He grew up on a raspberry farm in central Pennsylvania, and went on to write comic books, direct for television, and work in interactive and narrative with the USC WorldBuilding Lab and the Institute for Creative Technology. Asa lives in Hollywood with his wife and daughter.
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About the Narrator: Christopher Harbour
Chris Harbour has been an avid reader his entire life, so it was natural to enter into the world of audiobooks. While in the military Chris would travel to visit his wife and family in his free time and listen to audiobooks on the long drives home. It wasn’t until Chris was in his final year of obtaining his Bachelors of Science in Psychology, in 2017, that his wife suggested that he take a chance and start narrating audiobooks. Chris loves that his work can bring books to life and bring them to a new platform for others to enjoy. In Chris’s spare time he enjoys scuba diving, home improvement and spending time with his beautiful wife.
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An Interview with Dale Ceyed
(Character Interview)

Q: Tell me about yourself.
A: I live with my Gram on the outer spin of Niklas, where there’s a lot less motion. I think I prefer that, a little quieter there. I’ve worked in central processing in the Machine for almost 10 years. My Dad worked there too, before the big collapse.
Q: I’m sorry, we lots a lot of good people here, too.
A: Yes.
Q: And do you like your position?
A: I can’t say that I do. It’s better than a lot of things, but it isn’t helping anyone.
Q: You mean your specific role isn’t crucial?
A: That’s not what I- Well, it’s true they cut my hours way back. It isn’t enough for me and Gram anymore.
Q: And that’s why you’re applying for this position?
A: Yes.
Q: And what appeals to you about this job?
A: It will pay money. I could do it quite well.
Q: But why will you like it? Or what do you like about over overall ethos here?
A: The money. You are offering money, right?
Q: Yes, well, we do a lot of good in the world as well, we like to think of ourselves as a real family here.
A: Tell me about the good you do.
Q: Pardon?
A: Tell me what you do that improves this world quite so much. Who are you feeding? Who are you housing? Will you pay for Gram’s cancer treatment if I get the job here?
Q: I’ll be honest, I don’t think you’re a fit.
A: I really can do the work. Better than most anyone. But if the main qualification is a willingness to pretend that this is more than a way to get hold of food and medicine, I guess I don’t qualify.
Q: I really like it here.
A: I’ll bet.

Audiobookworm Promotions ~ Toro by Andrew Avner

9/2/2020

Author: Andrew Avner
Narrators: Brad Raider, George Spielvogel, Malili Dib, Yolanda Corrales, Leila Cohen, Andrew Avner
Length: 2 hours 57 minutes
Publisher: Black Rose Writing⎮2020
Genre: Middle Grade Fiction
Release date: Jun. 26, 2020

A story that evokes beloved films such as Babe and Ratatouille.

Alicía Catalina Cortés is a fast and fiery Spanish cow who desperately wants to run with the bulls in Pamplona - but since she’s a cow, tradition forbids her to partake in the fiesta of San Fermín. Through her journey, Alicía learns that to be noble and brave, she must follow her dream and her heart, even if it means defying tradition.

Toro is set in the colorful backdrop of Pamplona, Spain during the fiesta of San Fermín and the running of the bulls, famed as one of the most exhilarating, dangerous, and spectacular events around the world.

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About the Author: Andrew Avner
Andrew Avner graduated with honors from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Film and Television. After working in Manhattan with Academy Award-winning producer David Brown, Avner relocated to Los Angeles to develop his own original material. He's currently writing and producing short films for The Walt Disney Company while penning his next novel.
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About the Narrators
Brad Raider
(Narrator)
Brad Raider is an actor, filmmaker, and meditation teacher living in Los Angeles. In addition to Toro, he’s voiced video games, cartoons, and industrials. His award-winning feature film, Kensho at the Bedfellow, is streaming free on Amazon Prime: https://amzn.to/345rhXD.

George Spielvogel
(Don Murciélago Cortés, Jesús de los Jabalíes, Montie, Junior, Slim, Santiago, The Veedor, The Ganadero, Gallito, Zurito, The President of the Bullring)
George Spielvogel, also known as MC Whack, has been performing for audiences since childhood. While still in his early teens, he starred in a touring children’s theatre group and went on to earn degrees from both the Meisner Studio and the Strasberg Institute at New York University. Spielvogel was the creative producer on the hit staged parody Point Break Live. He continues to produce independent content and work as a voice-over actor in Los Angeles.

Malili Dib
(Alicía Catalina Cortés)
Born in Puebla, Mexico, Malili Dib was discovered by producer Pedro Torres, who cast her in the popular television series Mujeres Asesinas. She soon went on to land a major recurring role in the Mexican version of Gossip Girl. After graduating with honors from the Stella Adler Studio of Acting in New York City, Dib relocated to Los Angeles where she currently resides. Her film credits include Melancolía, co-starring Alessandra Rosaldo and Plutarco Haza, Your Iron Lady, co-starring Victoria del Rosal and Yul Bürkle, Valentina by up-and-coming director Jorge Xolalpa Jr., and The Restoration by award-winning Peruvian director Alonso Llosa.

Leila Cohen
(Condesa Maria Del Toro, Doña Madonna de Doñana)
Leila Cohen left Brazil when she was eighteen and bounced around the globe before settling down in Los Angeles. She received a degree in Performance and Visual Arts from Brighton University and went on to train at Central School of Speech in Drama in London and Stella Adler Studio of Acting in New York City. Cohen recently completed a Film and Television Screenwriting Comprehensive at UCLA and co-founded a production company with her sister, aptly named Cohen Sisters Productions.

Yolanda Corrales
(Young Alicía, Waitress from the Basque country, Rosalita)
Yolanda Corrales is a Spanish actress based in Los Angeles. Her career began as a professional dancer in the Royal Conservatory of Madrid. Eventually, she traveled to Mexico to work on acclaimed television series such as Juana Inés, José José: El Príncipe de la Canción, and Luis Miguel: The Series. Corrales has also performed in theatre and film and has appeared in more than one hundred commercials around the world.

Andrew Avner
(Diego Del Toro, Don Julián Hernández, Billy Ray, Municipal Veterinarian, El Miguel)
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Dream Cast

If I were to produce an animated feature film, I’d cast everyone from the audiobook to perform voices for the movie. If they were unavailable, in terms of the Hollywood studio system, here’s my dream cast of voice talent for the central roles:

Penélope Cruz as Alicía Catalina Cortés
Antonio Banderas as Diego Del Toro
Javier Bardem as Don Julián Hernández
Ana de Armas as Doña Madonna de Doñana
Lin-Manuel Miranda as Jesús de los Jabalíes
Martin Sheen as Don Murciélago Cortés
Salma Hayek as Condesa Maria Del Toro
Benicio Del Toro as El Miguel
Clint Eastwood as Billy Ray
Billy Bob Thornton as Montie
Woody Harrelson as Junior
Matthew McConaughey as Slim

A film could also be made as a live-action virtual production in the vein of Jon Favreau and Disney’s The Jungle Book (2016) and The Lion King (2019), whereby photorealistic talking animals appear alongside real actors. If this were to be the case, the cowboys—Billy Ray, Montie, Junior, and Slim—would all be filmed in live-action on location and greenscreen stages.

Audiobookworm Promotions ~ THE CODE by Peter McAllister

8/31/2020

Author: Peter McAllister
Narrator: Josiah Robinson
Length: 5 hours 26 minutes
Publisher: Momosa Publishing LLC⎮2020
Genre: Science Fiction
Release date: Jul. 31, 2020

We unconsciously imprint our prejudices on Ais.
Can they become mentally ill like their creators?
If one becomes psychotic, is shutting it down murder?
What if he fights back?

Liam, a gifted engineer, is trying to save the world, by finding a way to let industry mine for metals without the environmental disasters that make the news. Nanobots mining asteroids are the answer, and they are being tested on the dark side of the moon. But Gene, the AI tasked with helping him, spirals down the path of schizophrenia and is on track to mine the moon to dust - and without the influence of the moon, the ecosystems that mankind depends on for its survival as a species will be lost. This leaves Liam and his colleagues to battle the creation and his own demons to save humanity - who are oblivious to the potential destruction around the corner.

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Interview with Author Peter McAllister

Was a possible audiobook recording something you were conscious of while writing? Yes, because I love listening to them. It makes me more inclined to alliteration and descriptions that have a great sound. We have all seen the memes that show how little of the words we actually read, and how much our brain fills it in subconsciously so I try and think about what happens when someone says it!

How did you select your narrator? That is tough. The ability to tackle the range of accents was important along with the ability to accept feedback on the audition was important, but finding the voices that matched the ones in my head was the key. The characters are alive in my head, so I can hear and see them (I am just the scribe) so making sure they matched was important.

How closely did you work with your narrator before and during the recording process? Did you give them any pronunciation tips or special insight into the characters? For me, the narrator is like the books Uncle – they are related to the voice in my head, but they are different in their own right and provide a different flavour. It was great working with Josiah -working on the accents and some of the First Nation place names. Google was a great help here – even the Australian place names have a pronunciation available on the web.

Were there any real life inspirations behind your writing? For me, the inspirations came the history of science and technology. 120 years ago it was legally required that a car must have someone walk in front of it with a red flag to warn people of the dangerous machine and prevent injury. Now we have made a tradeoff – the benefit of cars and trucks to our society vs over a million people killed by them every year. What tradeoff will we make as we release AI into the world unsupervised?

How do you manage to avoid burn-out? What do you do to maintain your enthusiasm for writing? I wrote much of the first draft 15 years before I had a session with an editor and decided that I wanted to finish it, so I guess the answer is that I didn’t. The enthusiasm came back as I read through a copy of at draft and found myself laughing at it and knowing that if I finished it others might enjoy reading it.

Are you an audiobook listener? What about the audiobook format appeals to you? I love audiobooks, they make manual chores and commuting become wild adventures through time and space (and occasionally educational).

If you had the power to time travel, would you use it? If yes, when and where would you go? I sure would – there are so many events in history (and the future) I would love to see what really happened – thinks like the discovery of fire and the wheel through to the first teleporting of a human.

If this title were being made into a TV series or movie, who would you cast to play the primary roles? Charlize Theron would play Trinity based on her performance in Atomic Blonde. Snoop Dog would probably be Cletus, and Liam would be played by James Spader. Sounds a bit weird now its written down!

What do you say to those who view listening to audiobooks as “cheating” or as inferior to “real reading”? Is reading to your children cheating?

How did you celebrate after finishing this novel? It is never finished in my head – always thinking of changes that I want to make – everytime I look at it! Otherwise it is just relief and a beer!

What gets you out of a writing slump? What about a reading slump? I tend to have a list of scenes I need to write, and when it is time to write, I pick a scene that matches my mood. For a reading slump – I pick up Enders Game by Orson Scott Card – a brilliant book that always inspires me.

What's your favorite:
Food – Fish and Chips
Song – Unguarded Moment, The Church
Book – Ender’s Game, Orson Scott Card
Television show – Star Trek (the original)
Movie – Fifth Element
Band – The Stranglers (UK)
Sports team – All Blacks (Rugby Union - New Zealand)
City - Vancouver

Are any of those things referenced in appearance in your work? Yes several - you will have to listen to pick them out!

What bits of advice would you give to aspiring authors? Editors are actually on your side – give them a break!

What’s next for you? Getting through the COVID -19 lockdowns and writing the sequel.