"Petey Vanished!" is now live on Audible

My recording of Petey Vanished! A Novel of Southern Proportions by Laurie Byrne Smith is now for sale on Audible.  I enjoyed recording this book and found the murder mystery chilling.  

From Audible:

"An old mystery lingers in the neighborhood. No one ever forgets the forever loss of a child. JoBeth has come back to her hometown to close up the family home place and get it ready for the new owners. Mama and Grandma have left behind an old travel trunk filled with obscure memorabilia, but no answers to that single most important question. Growing up in a small southern town in a tight-knit post-war neighborhood was nearly idyllic for JoBeth and Billy, until Petey Vanished! Hot and steamy evenings of Capture the Flag and neighborhood hide and seek, all the moms at home and dads working to make life better, the children of Governor's Road neighborhood feel safe and secure, until the day Petey Shiner never came home from school. The parents spare their children the truth of the horror of Petey's fate without realizing the lifelong uncertainties that would be created. Insecurity, sensitive to being alone, bothered those kids, and most of them moved to other places to pursue adult lives. Years later, JoBeth and Billy find themselves attracted to each other and reconnect over the mystery of what happened when Petey Vanished! Following the threads of the story, they find those little threads of attraction and connection. Enjoy your trip back in time and discover the joys and horrors of a southern childhood."


To listen to the sample and/or purchase, head to Audible here. 
 

An Ikea Friday

Duane, Linda, and I usually hit Ikea about twice a year.  Even though we have one where we live, it's still a long haul going through the store.  (Yes, I know.  Ikea does that on purpose.)  We wanted to go before it got too close to Christmas and, of course, we always go on a week day. 

The was the first time that we have NOT had to put any of the back seat down in order to get our purchases into Mrs. Peel.  This is despite the fact that Duane bought 2 hanging lights along with other items.  She's remodeling her kitchen and these were perfect.

Fisherman's Light.  Duane bought 2.

Mostly, though, all three of us bought small household items.  I needed some wastebaskets for a couple of bedrooms along with some more glass cereal bowls that I've bought before (but managed to break).  Along with dish towels and towel bars, you get a good idea of what we bought.  However, all three of us wanted to check out the Christmas section at Ikea.  They always have cute ornaments and wrapping paper.  We didn't leave that section empty-handed.  I bought a set of adorable burlap snowman ornaments.

I bought a set of these.

 
BUT, my big find of the day wasn't even something I was looking for.  It's not in the catalog and also not on the US Ikea website.  It was this fabulous pillow with a microphone on it.  I bought an insert, too, so it's already in use on the futon in my home office/recording studio.  When I posted this pic on a narrator page I belong to, people loved it.  Several wanted one for themselves and/or gifts so I gave them the name of the product and the product number.  I can already attest that it's very soft for taking a nap after a few hours of editing or recording. 

LOVE my new microphone pillow.

After we left Ikea, we headed to one of our fave lunch places, Nicko's Diner, near where Duane lives.  After a walk through Ikea, we were starved.  Next weekend we'll be hitting the holiday shop small business shop hop in Seminole Heights.  Really looking forward to that!

We fit it all in the boot!  No back seats down.

"An Egyptian Cigarette" now available on Audible!

My recording of Kate Chopin's short story, An Egyptian Cigarette, went on sale today on Audible.

A woman is visiting a friend who travels widely, and he offers her a package of Egyptian cigarettes he received as a gift while in Cairo. The package has never been opened and has no print of any kind to indicate a brand, its origin, or its ingredients. The woman decides to try one of the cigarettes in the man's private smoking room. Her experience when she smokes one of the cigarettes shakes her to her core.


I plan to record one more of Chopin's short stories to be released as singles and then all six I've narrated will be released as a compilation.  To listen to a sample or to purchase, head to Audible here.