See in the New Year with a self-help book!

My last recording of 2019 is now available on Audible.  Yes! I Said No! How to Set Healthy Boundaries and Increase Your Self-Esteem by Barbra E. Russell is a nifty self-help book published in cooperation with Three One Six Audio.

"Is it hard to find time for yourself? Do you often ignore what you want and focus, instead, on what others want? Do you find it difficult to speak up for yourself? Yes! I Said No! gives you specific tools to set healthy boundaries and retake control of your life.

You will learn how to do what you want to do. Without drama. Without anger. Without fear. A series of simple-to-follow examples and clearly stated tools will help you invest in yourself, say yes when you want to, and say no when you need to.
You will learn how to:

• Say no without blowing up, wimping out, or running away
• Stop being a people pleaser
• Care for people without carrying them
• Restore healthy relationships

Barbra Russell’s expertise in helping others take charge of their lives stems from a long and successful career as a licensed professional counselor. Her fresh and engaging style of communication and unique step-by-step process has helped thousands of people step up, move forward, and be who they’re meant to be.
Whether from negative family patterns or a mistaken belief that pleasing others is a spiritual gift, this easy-to-listen guide will free you of approval addiction. You will reclaim your life and enjoy the freedom that comes with declaring "Yes! I said no!"

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

An Unsolved Murder -- new on Audible

I've always been fascinated by the case of Lizzie Borden and the murder of her father and stepmother.  My latest recording, just released on Audible, was written by a local newspaper police reporter who saw the case unfold from the start (the discovery of the bodies) to the finish (Lizzie's trial).  The Fall River Tragedy: A History of the Borden Murders by Edwin H. Porter:

"One of the most notorious murders in US history, the 1892 killing of Andrew and Abby Borden in Fall River, Massachusetts, officially remains an unsolved case. Although Lizzie Borden was charged with the axe murders of her father and stepmother, the jury found her not guilty. No one else was ever charged.

Edwin H. Porter was a young police reporter for the Fall River Daily Globe who covered the crime. Beginning with the discovery of the bodies, all the way through the investigation, trial, and final verdict, Porter gives a detailed account with first-hand access to the crime scene and courtroom drama. The fact that Lizzie was the only person in the house with both victims, her attempt to buy poison the day before the murders, and her hatred for her stepmother, Abby, cast a cloud on her innocence.

The wealth and social position of the Borden family may have actually helped Lizzie escape punishment for a double murder. Edwin Porter's eyewitness reporting also includes the reactions and intense interest of residents of the town to a crime that drew national and international attention."

For the record, I think Lizzie got away with murder.  😈  There was a television movie that aired in the 1970s starring Elizabeth Montgomery that was quite good.  I just discovered recently that Ms. Montgomery was distantly related to Lizzie Borden.  Cousins, 8 times removed, or something similar.

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

A Western Romance and a Children's Classic

Two new releases on Audible since I last posted!  First up is a sweet historical western romance by Davalynn Spencer called Snow Angel: A Romantic Christmas Novella.

"As a child, she lost something precious at Christmas. Twenty years later, she's about to lose her heart.

Lena Carver works as her physician brother’s medical assistant, housekeeper, and cook despite her disfigurement from a childhood accident. Each year, the Christmas holidays come with contradictions - cherished memories of a mysterious encounter and painful recollections of a great loss. Lena lives with the belief that she is beyond love’s reach, until a dark-eyed cowboy arrives broken, bruised, and bent on changing her mind.

Wil Bergman wakes in a stranger’s home with a busted leg, a bullet-creased scalp, and no horse. Trail-weary, robbed, and penniless, his dreams and plans for a future are suddenly unattainable. Forced to recuperate in the home of a country doctor, he finds himself at the mercy of a surgeon whose sister’s healing touch has power to stitch up his lonely heart and open his eyes to the impossible."

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

Next up is another full-cast production from The Online Stage.  This one is the children's classic Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi.  I played two small roles in this one.  As always, these are a lot of fun.


"Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi
Translated from the Italian by Carol Della Chiesa
Presented by The Online Stage
Carlo Collodi's whimsical recasting of the myth of Pygmalion and Galatea was first published in 1883 and has since become an established classic of children's literature. Geppetto, a poor wood carver, receives a piece of wood from which he carves a marionette. Much to his surprise, the puppet springs to life and embarks on a wild series of adventures.
Cast
Narrator - Michelle Marie
Pinocchio - Becca Maggie
Geppetto - Denis Daly
The Fairy - Amanda Friday
Also featuring the voices of Andrew Coleman, Andy Harrington, Ben Lindsey-Clark, Ben Stevens, Chyanne Donnell, Craig Franklin, Elizabeth Chambers, Erin Grassie, Grace Garrett, Griffin Johnson, Isabelle Friday, Jeff Moon, John Burlinson, Joseph Tabler, Larry Wilson, Leanne Yau, Lee Ann Howlett, Marty Krz, Peter Tucker, Phil Benson, Rob Goll, Russell Gold, Sara Sheckells and Susan Iannucci."

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

A New True-Crime Book and a Full-Cast Radio Play

Just had two new books published on Audible.

First up is a true crime story that occurred just after the beginning of the 1900s in New York City.  The Belle of Bedford Avenue: The Sensational Brooks-Burns Murder in Turn-of-the-Century New York is by Virginia A. McConnell.

"At the turn of the 20th century, many affluent Brooklyn teens and young adults were bucking the constraints of their immigrant parents and behaving badly: drinking, having sex, staying out all night, stealing, scamming local businesses, and engaging in other more serious activities.

When 20-year-old Walter Brooks was murdered in a seedy Manhattan hotel in 1902, the ensuing court case was front-page news throughout the country. The hearings featured testimonies about these young people’s secret lives that shocked parents and inspired much editorial commentary in the newspapers. From start to finish, the case was viewed as a cautionary tale for parents, for boys who could be led astray, and for girls who risked their reputations to be popular.

Set against the colorful backdrop of Coney Island, roadhouses, forbidden dance halls, and vaudeville, The Belle of Bedford Avenue follows the young woman at the heart of the case from her trial for the murder of Walter Brooks to her adulthood.

The crime itself, interestingly, occurred in the location of Ground Zero and today’s September 11 Memorial. The trial was conducted by William Travers Jerome, who went on to become a legendary New York City prosecutor."

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

The second book is a full-cast radio play that I participated in as a member of Voices of Today.  Down With My Demons is by Josh Bourne.  I play the character of Jael.


"Ten years after a tragic incident on the lake, an AA meeting in a small, religious town in the deep south of the USA descends into bitterness and chaos when a flood hits. Trapped within the local church, tempers escalate and well-buried secrets begin to emerge. Personalities clash, reputations are dissected and questioned, and everybody's demons are laid bare.  Cast:
Vincent - Andy Harrington
Pastor Talbot - Jeff Moon
Samuel - John Burlinson
Delilah - Amanda Friday
Jael - Lee Ann Howlett
Audio edited by Leanne Yau."

To listen to the sample and/or purchase this one, you can find it on Audible here.

Two new full-cast recordings from The Online Stage

Two new recordings are on sale on Audible from The Online Stage.  I had parts in both productions.  The first was a role in "The Rim of the World."   It was released as part of a collection of 11 plays by Floyd Dell.  His work has remained relevant despite the passage of time.


Floyd Dell has been called "one of the most flamboyant, versatile, and influential American Men of Letters of the first third of the 20th century". Though he was primarily a newspaper and magazine editor, most prominently of the radical left-wing magazine The Masses, he also published many best-selling feminist works. As a staunch advocate of feminism, socialism, psychoanalysis, and progressive education, his writing greatly shocked the American bourgeoisie at the time, to the point where it became so controversial, he was put on trial twice for his subversive literature. 
This is a complete collection of all 11 of his short plays, which include many delights, such as a dialogue musing upon the curiosities of human nature, fights between lovers, a tragic fantasy story, and even a comedic take on a popular biblical tale. 
1 Human Nature
2 The Chaste Adventures of Joseph
3 The Angel Intrudes
4 Legend
5 Sweet-And-Twenty
6 A Long Time Ago
7 Enigma
8 Ibsen Revisited
9 King Arthur's Socks
10 The Rim of the World
11 Poor Harold 

Head to Audible to hear a sample and/or purchase the book here.

My second role was a small part as Dame 3 in a full-cast production of The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne.  (I wasn't very nice to poor Hester!)

"Scorned by her 17th century New England Puritan village, Hester Prynne struggles to raise her precocious daughter, Pearl, who is the result of an affair and whose father is unknown. Despite being forced to wear a scarlet letter A as a brand for her adultery, Hester tries to live a life of repentance and dignity. Pearl's father comes forward as he is struggling under the weight of his own shame and sin.

The Scarlet Letter is often thought to be Hawthorne's most famous work."

To check out the sample and/or purchase the book, you can find it on Audible here. 



I love narrating books as solo works but it's also very gratifying and a lot of fun to perform with other narrators as part of a full-cast!  I'm grateful that The Online Stage and Voices of Today both give me this opportunity!

My latest recording -- a classic mystery -- now on Audible!

My latest solo just went up for sale on Audible.  I recorded The Circular Study by Anna Katharine Green as a member of Voices of Today.  Publication is via Spoken Realms. 


"A man is found dead in the study of his New York City house and Detective Gryce is called upon to deduce the how and why of his murder - if it is indeed a murder.

With the assistance of Miss Amelia Butterworth, Gryce must investigate the meaning of the meager clues, including the cries of a talking bird, in order to uncover what happened to the victim.  Solving this crime will involve several generations of two families.

Author Anna Katharine Green was often referred to as 'the mother of the detective novel' and was an early influence on Agatha Christie."

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

New classic recordings now on Audible!

My two latest recordings went on sale on Audible today.  The first one is a three narrator production of A Study in Scarlet by Arthur Conan Doyle.  I performed the voices of the American characters.  Very happy to be a part of Voices of Today.

From Audible:

"A Study in Scarlet by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

Narrated by Linda Barrans, Cate Barratt, and Lee Ann Howlett.

Consulting detective Sherlock Holmes is first introduced to the reading and listening public in A Study in Scarlet, along with his soon-to-be fellow sleuth Dr. John Watson. First published in 1887, the novel is one of only four full-length works by the author in his original canon of Holmes cases. The murders in question are committed in London, but the actions leading up to them were perpetrated in America, calling for a transcontinental narration of this most interesting story."

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

Next up is a full-cast production from The Online Stage.   I play the narrator in Little Men by Louisa May Alcott.  This is our second production in the beloved series by Alcott.  It follows book one  --  Little Women.


"Published in 1871, Little Men is a sequel to the novel, Little Women. It tells the continuing story of Jo March, who has married Professor Bhaer, with whom she now runs a small school.   
Cast
Narrator: Lee Ann Howlett
Ragged Boy/Nat/Uncle Teddy: Andy Harrington
John/Emil/Comodore/Silas/Peter: Jeff Moon
Servant maid/Mary Ann/Nan: Leanne Yau 
Tommy Bangs/Dick/Nursey/Asia/Meg: P J Morgan
Demi/Kitty Mouse: Arielle Lipshaw
Daisy/Sally/Adolphus/Dolly: Tiffany Halla Colonna
Jo/Rob: Amanda Friday
Mr Bhaer: Ben Lindsey-Clark
Franz/Jack: Ted Wenskus
Stuffy/George: Tomas Peter
Ned: Anastasia Durning
Teddy/Amy: Becca Maggie
Dan/Billy: Maureen Boutilier
Little Bess: Miranda Hodges
Dr Firth/Mr Roberts/Grandpa/Mr Hyde: Ben Stevens 

Audio edited by Libby Stephenson."

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


 

Two nominations for the 2019 Independent Audiobook Awards!

I was very happy to find myself nominated for two of my books for an Independent Audiobook Award for 2019!  Both books are in the nonfiction category.  There are 21 separate categories with five finalists in each.

My nominations are for Dolly Parton, Gender, and Country Music by Leigh H. Edwards and Dying To Get Married: The Courtship and Murder of Julie Miller Bulloch by Ellen Harris.

The Dolly Parton book can be found on Audible here  and the Dying to Get Married book can be found on Audible here.

The winners will be chosen at the Hear Now Festival held in Kansas City, Missouri on June 7, 2019.  I was nominated for a book in the History category last year.  I did not win but, just like this year, I was thrilled to be nominated.

Best of luck to all of the nominees!  You can view them here.

New book for sale on Audible!

My latest book just went on sale on Audible.
Behind Her Criminal Investigator's Badge: 9/11,
Missing and Exploited Children, and Life in the Pursuit of Human Traffickers by Floy Turner and Sherrie Clark is the third and final book in the Behind the Badge series about Floy's career.  I was honored to be Floy's voice.


"Special Agent Floy Turner returns for her final crime-fighting battles. With the first page bringing us back to historical 9/11, Floy finds herself in a precarious situation as she and her team face the potential threats of entering and searching the apartments of the 9/11 terrorists mere hours after the attacks.

The action has only begun as evil continues to intensify. From escorting renown serial killer Aileen Wournos to her execution to interrupting the insidious ploys of kidnappers, cybercrime predators, and human traffickers, Turner uses her seasoned investigator’s skills to ensure justice is served.

Buckle in with Turner and get ready to go on another sit-on-the-edge-of-your-seat ride, delving deep into complex and headline-making investigations, all from behind her badge."

You can listen to the sample and/or purchase the book on Audible here.

A new charity project from The Online Stage!

I was very happy to play a small role in this new production as a member of The Online Stage!  Little Lord Fauntleroy by Frances Hodgson Burnett features a full-cast and was just released on Audible:

"Little Lord Fauntleroy by Frances Hodgson Burnett. Presented by the Online Stage.

Frances Hodgson Burnett's heartwarming novel about an idealistic and impoverished American child who unexpectedly finds himself transplanted into the English aristocracy has long been considered a true classic of children's fiction. 

Young Cedric lives with his widowed mother in New York. His late father was a British earl who had been disowned by his father for marrying an American. As all of the earl of Dorincourt's sons have now died, he begrudgingly looks to Cedric as his sole heir. While the earl soon comes to love the endearing little Cedric, conflict arises when a strange woman appears on the scene and insists that her son is the true heir.

Cast:

• Narrator - Christianne Lupher 
• Cedric - Miranda Hodges 
• Mrs. Errol - Maureen Boutilier 
• Mr. Hobbs - Marty Krz 
• Mr. Havisham - Ron Altman 
• Earl of Dorincourt - Denis Daly 
• Dick - Ben Stevens 

Additional voices provided by Sarah Bacaller, Lee Ann Howlett, Susan Iannucci, Nancy German, P J Morgan, Alan Weyman, Danielle Cohen, Jeff Moon, Phil Benson, Sarah Mitchell, Leanne Yau, Andy Harrington, Andrew Coleman, Ken Foster, and Elizabeth Klett.

Audio edited by Amanda Friday, Elizabeth Klett, and Denis Daly.

 

Public Domain (P)2019 The Online Stage."

 

All proceeds from the sale of this audiobook will go to COPS, Concerns of Police Survivors, to help those left behind from police line of duty deaths.

 

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

American Empress now available on Audible!

My latest recording is now for sale on Audible.  This was a really interesting book to narrate.  American Empress: The Life and Times of Marjorie Merriweather Post by Nancy Rubin Stuart is a biography about the Post cereal heiress and philanthropist. 


From Audible:



"American Empress is the best-selling history of the dramatic life of heiress Marjorie Merriweather Post, daughter of breakfast-cereal magnate C.W. Post, founder of the Postum Cereal Company.

As a girl growing up in the Midwest, young Marjorie Post helped glue cereal boxes in her father’s barn, later sat on the board of directors of her father’s company, wed several times, and by late middle age was widely acknowledged as the “Queen of Washington, DC” because of her friendship with presidents, senators, diplomats, and royalty.

During the nearly nine decades of her life, the beautiful and vastly wealthy Mrs. Post had four husbands - among them stockbroker E.F. Hutton and Joseph Davies, ambassador to Soviet Russia under Stalin - built several glittering mansions, including Palm Beach’s legendary Mar-a-Lago, and sailed the seven seas on her huge yacht, the Sea Cloud.

A glamorous and warm-hearted woman who retained her Midwestern twang and fondness for square dancing, Mrs. Post was also mother to actress Dina Merrill. Throughout her life, she gave generously to hundreds of civic and artistic causes, among them the National Symphony Orchestra, the Washington Ballet, and the Kennedy Center.

Thanks to her brains, beauty, and vast wealth, Mrs. Post was a woman well ahead of her era, whose natural business acumen created the frozen foods industry and helped transform the Postum Cereal Company into the General Foods Corporation.

A sweeping social history about one of America's most beautiful, wealthy, and generous heiresses, the "Duchess of Washington, DC" and the "Queen of Palm Beach", a friend to the crowned heads of Europe as well as to American presidents, first ladies, senators, and diplomats.

The daughter of breakfast-cereal magnate C.W. Post, Marjorie Post's story traces her rise from her middle-class Midwestern roots to the pinnacle of America's high society. Along the way she married four times, anonymously gave thousands of dollars to widows, students, and soldiers, and earned the respect of hundreds of people for her charity, wit, and charm."

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