New recording (finally!) on Audible

Having a new roof put on your house and recording audio are two things that definitely do not mix.  I had to work on a couple of short projects in between the sounds of ripping, hammering, etc.  One hit Audible today via Spoken Realms:  Gretchen's Forty Winks by F. Scott Fitzgerald.

"A light, comedic short story from American author F. Scott Fitzgerald.

A young married couple with a baby is eking out a living while the husband, Roger, works to establish his own advertising company. His wife, Gretchen, is stunningly beautiful and unhappy with how much time Roger spends working.

After an evening with Roger's old friend, George Tompkins, who suggests that Roger needs more of a work/life balance, a flirtation begins between George and Gretchen.

How Roger decides to nip the relationship in the bud while meeting his career goal involves, among other things, a sleeping potion and a suitcase full of his wife's shoes."

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

 

Two new productions from The Online Stage!

I participated in two new productions, now available on Audible, as a member of The Online Stage.  First up is another book in the Anne of Green Gables series called Rainbow Valley by L.M. Montgomery.

I played the roles of Aunt Martha and Mrs. Alec Davis.  This is the seventh book in the series.

"Rainbow Valley was written in 1919 by L. M. Montgomery for the series that began with Anne of Green Gables. Anne and Gilbert's children are growing up! Their new friends, the Merediths, live in the Manse nearby. When the Merediths aren't playing in the graveyard or riding pigs through town, they meet up with the Blythes to play, fish, and study insects in Rainbow Valley!"

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

 

The second production is by Oscar Wilde and is called A House of Pomegranates: Four Fairy Tales.  I played a role in the story, "The Birthday of the Infanta."

"A House of Pomegranates (1891) is a collection of four fairy tales by Oscar Wilde: "The Young King," "The Birthday of the Infanta," "The Fisherman and His Soul," and "The Star Child." These magical, beautiful, tragic, and cynical tales will charm listeners of any age. Narrated by Noel Badrian, and performed by a full cast.

Featuring the voices of Noel Badrian, Craig Franklin, Chris Marcellus, Lucy Peterson, Elizabeth Klett, Ron Altman, Miranda Hodges, John Burlinson, Denis Daly, Jennifer Fournier, Amanda Friday, Nancy German, Anna Grace, Erin Grassie, Lee Ann Howlett, Tyler Hyrchuk, Susan Iannucci, Michelle Marie, Nancy Peterson, David Prickett, Trisha Rose, Shirley Savage, Grace Keller Scotch, Joe Tabler, Mike Vendetti, Alan Weyman, and Larry Wilson."

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

 

A little Dorothy Parker between books!

My recording of a short story by Dorothy Parker was just released for sale on Audible.  I've always loved reading quotes of her bon mots and was happy to narrate a longer piece by her.

From Audible:
"Mr. and Mrs. Wheelock live with their five-year old daughter in a small house in a tidy suburb. Although they present the picture of a happy little family, the old adage "appearances can be deceiving" could certainly apply to their household. This was American author and celebrated wit Dorothy Parker's first published short story."

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

My Kate Chopin short story collection now on Audible

Six short stories that I recorded by Kate Chopin were released as a collection last week on Audible. 

American Kate Chopin, now considered an early feminist, was a prolific writer of short stories in addition to two novels. Most of her stories were set in Louisiana, where she moved after marrying. Characters in her stories are as varied as her themes. Her use of irony and her ability to write so convincingly of characters from diverse backgrounds are hallmarks of her work. This collection includes The Kiss, The Unexpected, An Egyptian Cigarette, The Locket, The Blind Man, and Her Letters.

This collection was published under two different titles:  Kate Chopin: Six Short Stories and Six Short Stories by Kate Chopin.  It can be found under either title on Audible.  Or you can click here to listen to a sample/purchase.

Thanks for reading! To return to the FICTION WRITERS BLOG HOP on Julie Valerie’s Book Blog, click here: http://www.julievalerie.com/fiction-writers-blog-hop-jan-2016

Another Kate Chopin Short Story for Sale on Audible

Yesterday, my sixth recording of a Kate Chopin short story went live on Audible.  The Locket is set during the Civil War.

From Audible:
"A young Confederate soldier is given a solid gold locket before he heads to war. He and the woman who gave it to him are passionately in love and long for the time when they can be together. The locket is noticed by some of the other soldiers and plays an important part in what transpires as battle looms over their camp."

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

Three new Kate Chopin short stories now on Audible

When it rains, it pours...  I had three short stories by Kate Chopin that I narrated go on sale on Audible today.  First up is The Unexpected.

"Randall and Dorothea are young and passionately in love and plan to marry. When Randall has to leave Dorothea for a short period, the two spend their time exchanging a flurry of letters and can hardly bear being separated. Randall's scheduled returned is delayed when he becomes severely ill. What happens when the now sickly Randall is finally able to see Dorothea again says much about the differences between love, lust and passion, and the vagaries of youth."

You can listen and or purchase this story from Audible here.


Next up is Her Letters.  I think this may be my personal favorite.

"A woman nearing the end of her life knows that she must destroy intimate love letters between herself and another man so that no one, particularly her husband, can ever read them. Unable to part with them while still alive, the provision she makes for their disposal upon her death leads to devastating consequences.

Kate Chopin skillfully weaves themes of love, passion, trust, betrayal, selfishness, and cruelty in this tale."

This story can be previewed/purchased here.



The third story is called The Blind Man.

"A blind man shuffles along a busy neighborhood street attempting to sell pencils to residents and people passing by. The blazing sun and too many layers of clothing don't appear to hamper his persistence. What occurs in this story illustrates American writer Kate Chopin's use of irony and the element of luck in all our lives."

This one can be found on Audible here.

I have two more Kate Chopin stories on the way.  One is in post-production and the other one will be recorded within the next month or two.  Currently, my publisher plans to release all six stories as a collection in addition to being able to purchase them separately.

Back to work for  me!

Thanks for reading! To return to the FICTION WRITERS BLOG HOP on Julie Valerie’s Book Blog, click here: http://www.julievalerie.com/fiction-writers-blog-hop-sep-2015

My newest recording released on Audible today!

My recording of a classic short story by Henry James, The Ghostly Rental, is now for sale on Audible.

A young theology student discovers an old house while on his daily walks. There appears to be no one living there but something about the house strikes the young man as strange. After observing an old man entering the house, the student eventually befriends the man in order to discover what he can about the old house besides the gossip in the town. The old man once owned the house but now only visits it briefly four times per year. He claims to have killed his daughter with harsh words and now she haunts the house but agrees to meet him four times per year so that she may pay him rent. In return, he is not to inhabit the house. This tale is as much a story of the psychology of people as it is of ghosts. How much do grief, ego, spite, and revenge play into our ideas of ghosts and being 'haunted'? This was an early Henry James story before he wrote "The Turn of the Screw." 

To listen to a sample and/or purchase, just click here. 

Recording news

Well, I'm finally back to recording.  I just finished a short story by Edna Ferber called Long Distance.  It should be for sale on Audible in a few weeks.  I plan to record more of Edna Ferber's short stories.  I've found that the themes of her stories are just as relevant today as when they were first published.




I've just begun prep work to begin narrating a historical romance called Franklin Loves Lucy by Mary Matthews.  This book tells the story of the love affair between Lucy Mercer and President Franklin D. Roosevelt.  Lucy was the social secretary for Eleanor Roosevelt.

I'll post here once this book is in post-production and also when it goes on sale on Audible.

Iambik releases dark fiction

Iambik Audiobooks has two new releases out this week.  Both come under the heading of  'dark' fiction.  Perfect for a rainy afternoon or evening or just to send your mind to that place...

First up is From Dark Places by E.J. Newman and also recorded by E.J. Newman.  This is a collection of very dark and creepy stories guaranteed to keep you up nights.  And to think that sweet-faced Emma came up with these tales of horror.  Just shows, you can't judge a book...

The second book is One O'Clock Jump by Lise McClendon and narrated by the talented and very popular Mark Douglas Nelson.  It's 1939 and you're in the crime-ridden streets of Kansas City.  Private Detective Dorie Lennox has found a way to escape the Depression and the war by tailing people and getting into very dangerous situations.




As always, both books are now available at Iambik for $6.99 each.  You can listen to the complete first chapter for each book there, too.  These will eventually be available via Audible, Amazon and iTunes but if you can't wait for the darkness, check us out.

A little mood music...  Don't let the sunny field fool you...