Well, with a passion for the writings of Edgar Allan Poe, Stephen King and Clive Barker, it was inevitable that I was going to do some horror stories.
Part One of the Dark Crux series by Rob RodenParker is on my list to narrate for sometime in early 2013.
(Don't let the cover fool you: this is seriously creepy stuff!)
This blog-post is to announce the above, and also to inform you that I am now fully booked up with projects until around this coming March.
The final editing of "Spiggot" by Craig Saunders, then finishing the absolutely incredible books from Christopher Bunn's "Tormay Trilogy" and Michael Coorlim's "Maiden Voyage of the Rio Grande" will be taking up the remainder of the year and beyond.
This has been an amazing six months for me. Never in my life would I have thought that so many people would want me to narrate their work, and it is a privilege to do so.
I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
For those of you who like your comedy a little bit on the dark side, "Broken World", the latest audiobook from the award-winning Andrew Biss is now on sale at Audible, iTunes and Amazon.
To sum it up, it is three strange and darkly humorous dystopian tales of a world gone wrong...
"Cafe Grotesquerie"
In a broken world there exists a strange and sinister eating establishment unlike anything known or imagined - referred to in some quarters as Cafe Grotesquerie - where only the most discriminating and well-connected are privileged enough to enter its doors and devour its dark delicacies. Once inside, however, status still reigns supreme, and for one particular couple - Audrey and Aubrey - a hunger for power proves far more desirable than anything on the menu. But when confronted by a supercilious sommelier, the suspicious disappearance of their waiter, and civilization collapsing all around them, will they even be able to make it through dessert? Step inside and find out....
"Foreign Bodies"
Victoria and Max have just arrived at their hotel, La Guerre Sans Fin, ready to enjoy an exotic bargain-priced getaway in one of the less hospitable corners of the planet. Unfortunately for them, between what they perceive to be plagues of marauding insects and wildly erratic weather patterns, their holiday soon becomes a far more perilous enterprise than anticipated. When a group of local tribesmen appear on the scene, however, they at last begin to feel as though things are about to brighten up for them. And in this broken world of theirs, indeed they are....
"The Joneses"
Mr. and Mrs. Jones' zealous desire to be seen as doyens of the community lead them to undertake a misguided mission that rapidly spirals out of control. Their adoption of children from an impoverished part of the world was intended to bring them widespread admiration, but when their charges turn murderous everything starts to unravel. However, in spite of the grim realities that now confront them, they remain stalwart in their pursuit of a higher social standing. But is that really the smell of victory in the air...or did things just get a little too hot to handle?
So there you have it, folks. I am now signing off for a short break to rest my vocal cords, and to finish preparation for my next fantasy trilogy project which I hope you are going to love!
Will be in touch again over Christmas to tell you what presents I got!
"Broken World" by Andrew Biss... have a listen over at Audible.
Have been once again, humbled by a recent review from "The Audiobook Guru" Jennie Mortarotti for Michael Coorlim's "And They Called Her Spider".
The feedback from this particular narration has been wonderful, and it makes all the hard work and late nights worthwhile when I learn that people enjoy what I'm doing.
There is also the main issue of writers providing me with good material. The value of a well written piece is underestimated at the best of times and I have been given the opportunity to work with some amazing authors since I began narrating.
The good news for steampunk readers is that I will be narrating the rest of the Bartleby & James Adventures with "Maiden Voyage of the Rio Grande" coming in the new year, followed by "A Matter of Spirit" and the fabulous "On The Trail of the Scissorman".
I can't wait!
My gratitude goes out to everyone for their guidance and support.
It means the world to me!
Thank you.
After a huge amount of production time, I am delighted to let you all know that J. Kent Holloway's "The Djinn" is now available for download on Audible.com
It has taken far longer than I anticipated in getting the project completed, as the writing was so good that I felt compelled to ensure that it was done to the best of my ability.
Kent's patience in allowing me all the time I needed, was greatly appreciated, and I hope he is happy with the final product.
The next piece of fantasy that I am reading is "The Hawk & His Boy" by the equally patient Christopher Bunn, who is made of the same stuff as Kent Holloway, and an incredible author to boot.
To be given the chance to associate myself with these two literary magicians, is a privilege for someone as new to all this as me.
As I said before, their patience and trust is greatly appreciated, and I will not let you down, gentlemen.
In addition, the latest Bartleby & James Adventure from steampunk guru Michael Coorlim, "And They Called Her Spider" is now on sale at Audible, Amazon and iTunes. It is only an hour long, but I had an absolute ball recording it!
Thank you to everyone for your support and goodwill in getting these projects out there. I hope your readers (and listeners) will enjoy what I have done.
It is set to be a manic few weeks in the run up to Christmas and you will not be hearing much from me until early in the new year.
Yesterday, I completed a quick series of short stories from stellar dark-comedy guru Andrew Biss.
Called "Broken World", it will be available through the usual outlets in early December.
In the meantime, rather than give you a description and possibly spoil the plot, here is a sample for you to listen to.
I do hope you enjoy it!
Three weeks ago, when asked to narrate the Victorian steampunk adventure story "And They Called Her Spider" by Michael Coorlim, I had no idea what 'steampunk' was, and even less of an idea about how hooked I was going to get by it in such a short space of time.
To put it in a nutshell, steampunk is "a sub-genre of science fiction that typically features steam-powered machinery, especially in a setting inspired by industrialized Western civilization during the 19th century."
The best way I can describe it for you from a personal perspective is to go back to the time of Jules Verne and his "Twenty Thousand Leagues Under The Sea" types of machinery. Wonderful fantasy worlds, with great story-lines and awesome characters.
Coorlim adds a Sherlock Holmes element to this era, and out of that has come the "Bartleby & James Adventures" series, which is quite simply magnificent.
Now, in a fit of immense grace and kindness, he has invited me to narrate the second in the series entitled "Maiden Voyage of the Rio Grande" and I am utterly thrilled at being able to accept.
"And They Called Her Spider" is due for release in the next week or so.
In the meantime, check out this incredible author and his equally incredible imagination, harnessed forever in his books.
A short novella on the way from stellar author Michael Coorlim. 'And They Called Her "Spider"' is already a huge hit on Amazon.com and in the next couple of weeks, you will be able to download it from Audible and iTunes. Am looking forward to reading this one. It is very similar in ways to "Two Tocks Before Midnight", which I loved reading!
From what I can gather from the sample manuscript, it is an immensely entertaining story about The Bartleby and James Adventures: a steampunk mystery series following the cases of consulting detectives Anton Bartleby and James Wainwright through an alternate Victorian history.
In their debut adventure, London is in the grip of an unstoppable assassin known only as the Spider, and consulting detectives Bartleby and Wainwright have been commissioned to catch her.
Can the surly inventor and savvy gentleman track her down and stop her string of murders, or will Queen Victoria be her next victim?
The author, Michael Coorlim (that's him on the right) is a Chicago-area screenwriter and author of fast-paced character-driven fiction about authentic people in fantastic situations. His best-selling steampunk collection, The Collected Bartleby and James Adventures, was published by Pomoconsumption Press. He can be found online at www.mcoorlim.com
Also, watch out for the long-awaited The Djinn by J. Kent Holloway. I am releasing it to the author this week, so expect it to hit the virtual shelves very, very soon!
