"Bryony" the Audiobook Update

Last week Rebekah and I met with Alby at Book and Bean to discuss progress on Bryony the audio book so far.

Since we won't be re-recording the files (they were recorded in 2012), and Alby feels they're pretty clean, since he edited as we recorded, we decided beta listenders would not be helpful at this point.

Alby did, however, ask Rebekah to listen to them, a few chapters at a time, to catch any mistakes he might have missed. She listened to the first few last week (and only heard one mistake - a line read twice) and is currently waiting for Alby to send more.

Also Rebekah, who has not read Bryony since I'd written it, found it as compelling in audio form as it is in print.

In the meantime, we are researching our distribution options. I feel like I'm navigating the early years of self-publishing without the map of people who did the hard work for me by the time I joined the party.

Meaning the pool of distribution services are small, and terms are varied.

So I'm researching the available services and evaluating terms, etc. I'm debating between two and leaning toward one, but that could change.

However, the process is exciting, and I'm definitely enjoying it. Even better, Alby would like to start recording another book and is interested in possible voices.

We debated the pros and cons of possibilities: should we record Visage next or should we record the first in each series before circling back?

That means we would record Cornell Dyer and the Missing Tombstone (children's chapter book) and Bertrand and the Lucky Clover before circling back to the "drop of blood" trilogy.

Any thoughts?

Another Side of Self-Publishing

Back in 2012, I had an audio version of Bryony professionally recorded at a studio in Joliet.

The end.

No, seriously.

The narrator and I wound up with personal emergencies, and the project faded into the background.

Over the years, the producer and I have occasionally reached out to each other with a "We should do something with this," but individual schedules never worked out at the same time to talk and plan.

That's changed.

I've now met with the producer three times in the last month and a half. He still has the files, and they sound amazing.

We are researching and educating ourselves on the audio book industry to decide the best way to distribute it.

I have self-publishing experience. He has experience in the music industry.  So it's a springboard for us to learn the audio book industry and share thoughts and links.

Since we've waited this long, we're in no hurry.

But since I don't listen to audio books, we may want a couple of beta listeners before we launch.

Anyone interested?

Saving Decklin (and more)

Getting plenty of practice "going with the flow" this week.

One, a large convention, for which me and several family members and friends have planned to work and attend, was abruptly cancelled yesterday, just ten days before the event, leaving other con participants shocked and upset.

My family and I have spent nine months in preparation for this event: making sure we had enough stock, costumes, work schedule rearranged, vacation time, etc., but also the opportunity to immerse ourselves in all things vampire (Victorian vampire ball, panels, photos ops, film festival, etc.).

It's a huge blow, but since I've officially written about, I'll be reaching out to organizers today and see if anyone will provide insight.

However, two very pleasant things happened immediately after, which I'll share here.

One, after a day of dodging "pebbles," I accomplished a good portion of my "to-do" list and left for a meeting with Alby Odum at Book and Bean Cafe in Joliet for a light supper, coffee, and to talk about the Bryony audio book.

He had never been at the cafe until we first met there two weeks ago and actually got there early to work on some other projects and soak up the ambiance. After discussing technical things, we shared resources and just had a long talk about all things creative, etc. 

It appears we'll meet every couple weeks just to keep the project moving until it's done. The goal is not to rush it (which is funny, considering we recorded the files in 2012), but to not stall again either. 

In the meantime, we're gaining a slow, but solid, education about the audio book industry, similar to the steps I took to learn about self-publishing about ten years ago.

Onto the second pleasant occurrence.

For one reason or another, I have not been in a pool all summer (I LOVE the water, so this is hugely disappointing). But with this lovely hot and humid weather (so far) this week, surely ONE NIGHT will happen before the pool shuts down.

Well, last night was not the night.

After the meeting, and after some "con" stuff was addressed, it was too late for the pool. So Rebekah and I decided to walk the track behind a local school building.

As we came up the other side, we saw an object off the road. That object turned out to be a cat.

It was now getting dark, and here was this very thirsty, very domestic cat out in the middle of the field by itself. Had it run off from the neighborhood? Or worse, was it dumped off?

We brainstormed a planned. 

We would ask the boys to bring the cat carrier. Then we would go around to all the houses in the surrounding neighborhood to see if someone had lost a cat.

If not, we would bring it home for the night, isolate it from our cats, and then take it to the vet first thing in the morning to scan for the microchip.

In the meantime, we took a picture of the cat and posted it on social media with a short description) hoping someone would recognize it.

The boys were at the fitness center, so they didn't arrive with the box for thirty minutes (at this point, they met us on the sidewalk when we were walking home with the cat to get it ourselves).

As Rebekah started to put the cat in the box, Timothy cried out, "That's Decklin!"

Immediately, I recognized the cat. He did live in one of the surrounding neighborhoods. Well, this was easy. We'd just take Decklin home.

It wasn't that easy.

As Rebekah placed Decklin into the cat carrier, the bottom broke, and the Decklin bounded away!

For the next twenty minutes, we chased after him, steering him in the direction of home and not farther away from where he needed to be.

His family was very happy to see him, and we stood outside chatting for about fifteen minutes or so. In fact, his family lives behind another set of neighbors who had given us information when Rebekah rescued a hawk a couple years ago.

So all's well that almost ended well.

Because I still had a list of work-related stuff to do AFTER the meeting last night. I haven't even peeked at it yet this morning (gonna finish this cup of coffee first).

I'm sure it will all get done eventually (the work, not the coffee. The coffee I absolutely plan on finishing).

The only upswing about missing the con (which, so far, organizers are promising a vague "spring date" for the rescheduling) is that, as one of my kids pointed out, I now have a long weekend for getting some serious creative writing done, something that's eluded me for over a month.

I am not consoled.

BryonySeries Throwback Thursday: "Bryony" the Audio Book: Session One

Thursday, March 22, 2012

"Bryony" the Audio Book: Session One and Other Munsonville News

First of all, the really cool part about creating an audio version of Bryony is that the recording studio is on the fourth floor of Tower Hall at the University of St. Francis in Joliet. So, for old times sake, I skipped the elevator and ran all the way up the main staircase.

What a transformation in the former art department! (I had a good friend who was an art major). Fortunately, Jeff Jaskowiak, director, was on site, so he gve me the official tour of DARA's (Digital Audio Recording Arts) expanded editing suite, which was really cool to see, especially since, two years ago, I had writtten a story for the Herald News when USF began the sound program.

The audio book project is a two-person team, both members of the Christian rock band Daniel's Window (www.danielswindow.com). Alby Odum is sound manager; Heather King is reading, and she has quite the expressive voice, and her take on when and where to emphasize differed from mine, but not in a bad way.

I'm amazed that, for as long as the story has been inside my head, that she could bring it so alive for me with simply her reading style. And I get to be on hand to enjoy the fun, offer opinions, and to correct any mispronunciation of terms, especially since Alby and Heather edited as they went.

Heather had hoped to cover forty pages, but she was only beginning the second chapter when my ride got super-sleepy (The sessions are from nine p.m. to midnight), and I had to leave. Curious how that last bit sounds, so I can't wait for Alby to send me a copy.

In other news, Serena Diosa, author of the Tinkey's Goldfish children's book series, and I met today to review the latest formatting for the Bryony cookbook: Memories in the Kitchen Bites and Nibbles from "Bryony," which, hurray, is in its final stages. I'm hoping it will be available for purchase within a month or so. All proceeds will be donated to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Will and Grundy Counties (www.bbbswillgrundy.org). 

Also, if you're anywhere near the Joliet area tomorrow, Saturday, or Sunday, stop out at the Westfield Louis Joliet Mall on Mall Loop Drive. Bryony will be part of an enormous arts and crafts fair. I will be selling both books and all five scents from BryonySeries one hundred percent soy candle collection. (www.valeriesheavenlyscents.com).