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| Buy the audiobook and I'll send you the first edition paperback free! Read on for details! |
One of the things I keep getting asked at conventions is when will the Dragon Apocalypse books be available in audio. I had all audio rights to my books reverted back to me late in 2014, but then I was named the 2015 Piedmont Laureate and was too busy hosting events and teaching classes to worry about finding a narrator. Then I went into 2016 with the goal of writing three novels (Cinder, Big Ape, and Covenant) and worrying about audio rights was something that only rarely snuck into my consciousness. Finally, I slowed down enough to think in 2017 and remembered, oh, right, I should find narrators.
Perhaps this was fate instead of simple procrastination. (Yeah, let's go with fate.) When I put up Greatshadow, one of the first auditions I received was from a guy named Jake Urry. I'm American with a noticeable southern accent, and in my head I usually heard by books read in a similar voice. Jake Urry is British, and the second I heard him read the opening lines I knew that his was the perfect accent for the book. His performance is amazing, and once you hear it you'll agree he's captured the voice of Stagger in such a way that's it's impossible to imagine anyone doing it better.
Greatshadow is a challenging book for a narrator. It shifts gears between comedy and philosophical introspection in the span of a sentence. It requires great timing and a willingness to go over the top to deliver the jokes, then just as quickly fall back into a quiet, thoughtful musing. The range of voices is also challenging, especially when one of the characters is a shape shifter who goes through a variety of different bodies in the course of the tale. Oh, and another major character, No-Face, doesn't have lips, but still has a lot of lines. I can only imagine the look on Jake's face when he reached lines in the manuscript that read, "Ruhr. Ruh muguh, huh." Fortunately, he rose to the challenge. Jake delivers dragons, boa constrictors, ogres, pirates, priests, and faceless brutes, all with polish and flair.
Of course, you don't need to take my word for it. You can listen to an audio sample right now! Just click this link!
If you want to purchase the audiobook but are on the fence, I'll sweeten the deal. If you purchase the audiobook before June 9, 2017, email me at nobodynovelwriter(at)yahoo(dot)com with your mailing address and I'll send you an autographed copy of the original Greatshadow paperback first edition from Solaris. There are two terms and conditions: First, I'll need to limit this offer to the first twenty people who write me. The original paperbacks are no longer in print, so once I go through my current supply, I can't get anymore. Second, alas, due to the cost of mailing stuff internationally, I'll have to limit this to US readers.
A great book to listen to and a freebie. What more can you ask for?
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