Hugo Award Finalist: The Sound of Children Screaming

The Sound of Children ScreamingAbsolutely thrilled and overjoyed for Rachael K. Jones and her well-deserved 2024 Hugo Award nomination for Best Short Story with The Sound of Children Screaming. Narrating this powerful piece for Nightmare Magazine (October 2023) was an honor I won’t soon forget. 🎙️✨

As an audiobook narrator, some stories truly leave a lasting mark, and this is one of them. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐧 𝐒𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 is a chilling, important tale that resonates deeply in today’s world. Inside Thurman Elementary, a mysterious portal traps a teacher and her students in a world suspended in time, with The Gun just beyond the classroom door…

The Hugo Awards take place this Sunday, August 11th, in Glasgow, Scotland at the 82nd Worldcon.  So wish I could be there!  Sending out big congratulations and lots of #HugoAward love ❤️ to all the nominees.

If you haven’t yet, you can read or listen to 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐧 𝐒𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 in Issue 133 of Nightmare Magazine by going to Nightmare-Magazine.com or hitting the link here!

Special thanks to Stefan Rudnicki and Skyboat Media for entrusting me with this unforgettable story. ✨

New Audiobook Release from James Patterson and Matt Eversmann!

The Secret Lives of Booksellers and Librarians_

For as long as I can remember, I’ve cherished the moments spent wandering through bookstores, or engrossed in research at the library.  Being part of James Patterson and Matt Eversmann’s latest release, The Secret Lives of Booksellers and Librarians, alongside an amazing cast of narrators, is not only such an honor, but also incredibly special. 

The Secret Lives of Booksellers and Librarians delves into the true stories of the extraordinary individuals who enrich our libraries and bookstores daily.  It’s a tribute to those who, with a single recommendation, can open up new worlds to us.   

Here’s just a glimpse of the many heartwarming exchanges in this book between patrons and our book heroes:

“My goal, my passion, is to become a special kind of matchmaker – matching people with books.” – Kelly Moore, librarian

“‘I haven’t read in years.’  … We know just how to help. We hand the long-lost reader a new book and the world opens up again.” – Exchange between library patron and bookseller

“‘I’ll never forget the day I met you,‘ the woman tells me. She smiles. ‘You have changed my life.’  – Library patron to her local librarian

“Making these personal connections is so important.  It’s not about selling books; it’s about making a community.” – Suzanne Lucey, bookseller

Heartfelt thanks to P.J. Ochlan and Hachette Audio for the opportunity to be a part of this treasure trove of stories.  The Secret Lives of Booksellers and Librarians: True Stories of the Magic of Reading is now available on Audible, Amazon and wherever you get your books.  

 

Thrilled to be Featured in the February Issue of Lightspeed Magazine

Final for Lightspeed Feb 2024As Lightspeed Magazine celebrates their 15th Anniversary, I’m thrilled to be featured in the February issue as both a storyteller and podcast host! 

Having narrated some mesmerizing tales for Lightspeed, today brings the release of two exceptional stories.  Buckle up … we’re going to Lightspeed! 🚀

As we launch into Lightspeed, Scarlett, written by Everdeen Mason, unveils the tale of an inventor shaping his own AI companion, posing an intriguing question: What would it be like to be idealized for a form you didn’t choose?

In our short shot, Further Examination and Capture of Candle Skulls Associated with the Baba Yaga, written by Mari Ness, narrated and hosted by yours truly, we delve into the mystery of Russian Folklore surrounding the Baba Yaga.  Trust me, she’s not the granny you’d want to encounter in the woods at night.

Lastly, in case you missed it, check out Companion Animals in Mahō Shōjo Kira Kira Sunlight, written by Stewart C. Baker, an absorbing dive into events around an American Web Series, released just last week. 

 Lightspeed Story Podcasts are produced by the award-winning team at Skyboat Media, and to whom I extend heartfelt thanks for featuring me in the February issue. ❤️

If you’d like to listen to or read these stories, head over to the February issue of Lightspeed Magazine.com, where you can enjoy them at no charge, or simply follow the link here.

Until next time, see you on the bit stream … 🚀

Love Driven Out Of The Linear… Takes Flight into the Ether-Sphere!

LoveDriven_Final

Thrilled to celebrate the audiobook release of Love Driven Out Of The Linear — a new romance series penned by Albert Barron and produced by Punch Audio.  I am absolutely delighted to be a part of this exciting project! 💕

In this captivating series co-narrated with Lief Livingston, get ready to be transported into a world brimming with love, romance, betrayal and alternate universes.  Love Driven Out Of The Linear, Book One  follows Ben Besdine and Emma Ennis, as they embark on a journey that takes them far beyond the confines of the ordinary, venturing into realms where the very essence of love takes flight, soaring to heights never before imagined.

Come join us on a unique journey through the intricacies of the heart and mind. 💋

Love Driven Out Of The Linear is now available on Audible and Amazon.com.

Learning Letters goes to Lightspeed! 🚀

Lightspeed Magazine Feb 2023 Issue

Get ready to buckle up … we’re going to Lightspeed! 🚀   Releasing today in the February Issue of Lightspeed Magazine is a new story podcast that I had the pleasure of narrating, called Learning Letters, written by Carrie Vaughn and produced by Skyboat Media.

I have been a long time fan of Vaughn’s writing, so having the opportunity to narrate this really cool, original new sci-fi story, was truly such a treat.

Learning Letters follows Enid, an investigator living in a post-apocalyptic world, who encounters a stranger that arrives in the fields of their small community, known as Haven.  This stranger is from a distant part of the world, intent on delivering a letter dated 30 years ago,  just after the fall.

As the stranger slowly steps down onto the field, exiting from a type of aircraft that the folks in Haven have only ever read about in journals and letters,  he speaks in an odd language –  one that sounds similar to Enid’s – but at first, is just on the edge of her understanding.  As we learn more about the stranger and the recipient of this letter that’s taken 30 years to deliver, these two individuals, find common ground – a way to bridge this gap of time and place – so that they might finally recapture a poignant lost moment from the past.  A moment that has begged to be delivered…

You can listen to, or read Learning Letters by heading over to the February Issue of Lightspeed Magazine, where you’ll be able to access this new story for free online.

Lightspeed Magazine is a Hugo Award-winning digital science fiction & fantasy online magazine, edited by John Joseph Adams and hosted by Jim Freund.

That’s all for now.  See you on the bit stream!

Five-Part Invention Wins an Earphones Award!

5-part-invention-WPFeature-300x224Earlier this year one of the most beautiful, moving, and heart-stirring books came across my desk.  A book that I couldn’t put down, one that moved me to the core, and one that I was so happy to be a part of, as one of five narrators for Dreamscape Media.  This book is Five-Part Invention, and it is the debut novel of extraordinary writer,  Andrea J. Buchanan.  This morning, happy news started the day when I learned that this exquisite book, has just won an Earphones award!

Thank you so much, AudioFile Magazine for taking the time to listen to, review and for awarding Five-Part Invention with the wonderful honor of receiving an Earphones Award.  Huge congratulations to Andrea J. Buchanan, Erick Black and Dreamscape Media, and to my immensely talented co-narrators, Elizabeth Wiley, Jayme Mattler, Jackie Meloche and Jane Oppenheimer.  It’s an honor and joy to be in your company!  Heartfelt thanks to Erick Black for casting me as Anna – a character that will forever remain in my heart.

I have included the text of the review below, as well as included a link to AudioFile Magazine’s review, here –  incase you prefer to check out the review on line.  Also – please do check out this book – either on Audio, or in print.  You can find Five-Part Invention on Audible or at Amazon. com.

Here’s the review!

FIVE-PART INVENTION

Earphones Award Winner

by Andrea J. Buchanan | Read by Elizabeth Wiley, Jayme Mattler, Susan Hanfield, Jackie Meloche, Jane Oppenheimer

Fiction • 14.25 hrs. • Unabridged • © 2022

Buchanan’s debut novel unfolds like a symphony as it examines the impact of trauma on five generations of women. Five talented narrators breathe life into these complicated survivors. Elizabeth Wiley, as Lise, the matriarch, has an immigrant’s accent as she reveals her traumatic truth to her adult daughter, Anna, through a letter that weaves through the stories of her descendants. Susan Hanfield’s Anna mourns the mothering she missed in her childhood while mothering Pauline, the girl she is raising as her own. Jane Oppenheimer portrays Pauline’s neediness as she struggles to feel connected. Jayme Mattler spotlights Hope’s curiosity and insightfulness as she spends spring break with the grandfather she never knew. Jackie Meloche delivers Zoey’s self-acceptance as love triumphs over trauma. N.E.M. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine [Published: SEPTEMBER 2022]

Trade Ed. • Dreamscape • 2022

https://www.audiofilemagazine.com/reviews/Read/218472

Five-Part Invention 🎼🎼🎼🎼🎼 New Audiobook Release From Dreamscape!

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In music, the word invention (n.) is defined as:  a short keyboard composition featuring two- or three-part counterpoint.  

Five-Part Invention, is the gripping debut novel from New York Times bestselling author, Andrea J. Buchanan, that is now available for listening on Audible.  I’m so grateful to have been a part of this incredibly beautiful project!  I had the honor and privilege of voicing Anna, one of the five protagonists, in this exquisite saga spanning five generations of women that “wrestles with the question – if trauma echoes through generations, can love echo, too? Is the love we transmit enough to undo the trauma of the past that we unwittingly carry with us and often re-enact in the present?” (Publisher Summary) 

Five-Part Invention begins with Lise, in the form of a letter written to her daughter Anna, in an attempt to explain, and to try to undo, the estrangement that she has had with her daughter, from the moment Anna was born.  This first invention sets the stage for this riveting multigenerational story.  Buchanan then skillfully shifts the lens to shine a light on each of her five protagonists’ lives, told from their perspectives.  Here we are introduced to Lise, Anna, Pauline, Hope and Zoey, all written so exquisitely and vividly, and in such a way, that is not only immediately captivating, but all at once, immersive.  Buchanan places each of these five extraordinary women in their specific eras, allowing each counterpoint to ring out clearly in their own unique voice, as they transparently share their story, their struggles, their search for identity, and their ultimate journey to self-love, all the while answering the question …

Is the love we transmit enough to undo the trauma of the past?  

Heartfelt thank you to Dreamscape Media, for casting me as Anna, and for inviting me to be a part of this truly special project.  To my incredibly talented co-narrators –  Elizabeth Wiley (Lise), Jane Oppenheimer (Pauline), Jamie Mattler (Hope), and Jackie Meloche (Zoey) –  what an honor and joy it is to be in your company. 

Five-Part Invention is now available in print and on Audio at audible.com and amazon.com.

Brody is back! Book Three – Colorado Cowboys: To Tame A Cowboy – Releases on Audio

cowboy3-WPFeature-300x224Front Range, Colorado Territory.  May 1867.  A run-away bride. A soldier returning from war.  A woman who dreams of being a veterinarian.  A man who kept his life, but lost his soul.  One brother’s plea, another brother lost.  Fists wanting to fly.  Bullets begging to bite.  Memories wrapped in darkness.  Love beckoning in the light.  Wild horses straining to be free.  Giddyap. This is book three … and Brody is back.

Happy release day to Book Three – Colorado Cowboys: To Tame A Cowboy, written by Jody Hedlund, and available now from Tantor Audio!  In a rich world full of heart, grit and soul, the opportunity to voice this incredibly special cast of characters, in this beautiful book, was not only so much fun, but truly such an honor.

So let’s recap, shall we?  When we first met Brody McQuaid, it was briefly – at the end of Book One: A Cowboy For Keeps.  The year was 1862 and Brody had just turned eighteen and had been itching to join the Union army, so that he could help in the war efforts.  Despite the animosity between Wyatt and Flynn,  Flynn reluctantly decides that if moving west would save Brody, and prevent him from enlisting, then no matter what his estrangement with Wyatt was, he’d do it.  Unfortunately the move west comes a little too late, and at the top of Book Two: The Heart Of A Cowboy, we learn that even the best laid plans … can sometimes go awry.  The night before the McQuaid family is set to head west,  Brody sneaks off in the middle of the night to enlist.  We don’t see him again until eighteen months later, at the end of Book Two.  The chapter opens in a federal hospital in Philadelphia.  Brody has been wounded and is unrecognizable, having become a mere shell of the man he once was. Emaciated.  A heap of skin and bones.  His humanity, all but gone.  If it weren’t for the tiny hand of his infant niece, Flora, reaching out to him and holding on to him tight, he would have just allowed himself to slip further into the abyss that wouldn’t stop calling to him.  The next time we see Brody, in Book Three: To Tame A Cowboy, we learn that while he has healed physically, he might never heal emotionally.  Brody has tried to take his life, he is full of haunted memories and remorse.  Guilt and anger fuel his days – and now he lets his fists do all his talking.  Only two things keep him going – his love for his niece, and the love and companionship that he feels for the untamed wild horses that are currently being hunted on the land.  He longs to set them free, just as much as he longs to be free himself …

To Tame A Cowboy  sets the stage for this gripping historical romance, by opening on the night before Savannah Marshall’s fancy wedding.  Where, instead of pre-wedding bliss, the bride-to-be is feeling more and more like a corralled mustang by the minute.  Savannah has wanted her whole life to be a veterinarian, and to one day have her own practice.  If she agrees to this marriage of convenience that her father is pushing for, she knows that her days as a veterinarian are as good as numbered.  She just needs time to think . . . but the clock is ticking.   If she is going to flee – it needs to be now!  In the darkness of predawn, Savannah makes a life altering decision.  Pushing down her guilt, and hiding her traveling clothes and pack, she saddles up and rides out into the high country, while everyone on the plantation sleeps.  While she might not have all of this figured out quite yet, one thing she’s sure of, is that she can’t give up on the only thing she has ever wanted to do – heal and care for animals.  As she leads her horse out into the chill of the morning, she has no idea that a whole new life is about to open up to her.  One that not only includes the animals, she so desperately wants to help, but also perhaps, an untamed cowboy … who could surely use a whole lot of love and care, as well.

To Tame A Cowboy is now available at Audible or Amazon.

Undo the Tech Trance … Digital Detox Releases on Audio!

41BBL+j5KeL._SL500_In today’s fast moving, tech saturated world, screens are everywhere, and there seems to be an app now for almost anything you can imagine.  While I love technology, and all that it has to offer, I also find myself longing more and more for those moments where I can just unplug, and give my mind a necessary brain break.  When I was offered the opportunity to narrate Molly DeFrank’s wonderful new book, Digital Detox: The Two-Week Tech Reset For Kids, by christianaudio, I was both intrigued and excited.  I couldn’t wait to find out what this digital detox was all about.

First, let me preface by saying that DeFrank is not against tech –  far from it – but she and her husband had started noticing significant behavioral changes in their kids – they were no longer their spunky selves. They were grumpy, dazed and slowly “morphing … into swamp creatures.”  One day, upon returning home after hours of being away, DeFrank noticed that she wasn’t greeted with a loving “Hi Mommy!” or  “I missed you.”  Instead, she was asked a rather irksome question, “can I play on your phone?” – something DeFrank describes in her book – as sounding more akin to “Hey, gatekeeper of electronics? Gimme a fix.”  This clarifying moment, prompted her and her hubby to take action, in what would soon become – a two-week tech reset for their kids –  cold turkey.

So what exactly is a tech reset?  And how do we undo this tech trance? Well, basically a tech reset, or digital detox, is the unplugging from ALL screens and electronics for a given amount of time. To undo the tech trance, DeFrank provides us with this helpful acronym:

Unplug cold turkey.

Notice your kid’s interests, talents, opportunities for growth.

Develop a list of screen-free fun together

Open the books!

In a book that is both warm, relatable and funny, DeFrank also weaves in facts, research, personal stories and studies that showcase, without a doubt, the negative impact that too much tech is having on our kids … and on us.  Of the families that Molly DeFrank later coached through this two week digital detox, 100% of families had positive results.

Our approach to tech media doesn’t have to be one way or the highway, it just needs to be on our terms.  In its right place, technology can be productive, helpful, relaxing and fun.  We just need to make sure that we, and not technology, remain in the driver’s seat.

Digital Detox is now available on Audible, Amazon and across all platforms.

Slow Communication – New Fiction Story Podcast Releases on Fantasy Magazine

slow communication

Releasing today on Fantasy Magazine’s story podcast is Dominique Dickey’s unique and prolific short fiction, Slow CommunicationI so enjoyed narrating this captivating story that travels from generation to generation. It’s a story shared amongst a long line of women, women who have come into contact at one moment in their lifetime, with an otherworldly being. Women who are given one chance to ask the question of a lifetime.  

Slow Communication follows the life of 17 year old Darla Revere.  Darla is a part of this conversation, this continuum, so to speak.  Each of the Revere women, have in their lifetime, been visited by this alien – this leviathan.  As a child, Darla had heard over and over again, that one day the leviathan would come for her, and that it would come for her when she least expected it.  The leviathan’s contact would evoke immense joy and pain, simultaneously.  All words, all ideas – would be knocked out of your mind by the sheer intensity of the contact, so you had better have your question ready; you needed to have it down pat. You had to know it better than you knew anything else in your life.  And if you changed yourself too much, if you did not bear a resemblance to the women in your family line, the leviathan may not be able to find you when it was your time.  Generation upon generation, questions from the Revere line, along with the leviathan’s answers, were documented, recorded, and passed down to the eldest Revere daughter in the family.  Each daughter waited for this moment.  Their moment.  And thus far, only one daughter had lived to hear the answer to her question.  Darla wanted to change all that. 

One question.

One question to last a lifetime. 

What would your question be?

To listen to Slow Communication, come on over to Fantasy Magazine, Issue 76 of the February offering, where you can listen free of charge here.  This podcast was produced by Skyboat Media