FREE Audiobook Giveaway!!!

Did you know you could win a free audiobook, just by commenting on this post at Audiobook Heaven? I think this is the seventh audiobook giveaway this year. Every first of the month a new book is offered and while in the beginning he was getting emails like crazy on the post, the numbers seem to be dwindling.


Everyone likes something for FREE, so why the dwindle of responses for a free audiobook? Maybe people fear giving out their email? It’s not like millions of people will see it! So go give it a shot, you have nothing to LOSE and a FREE book to gain!

In other news, I’ve found a new place to meet like minded people. That would be Twitter. Unlike facebook, Twitter doesn’t allow you to write a whole bunch, just 140 characters I believe, so what you post must be tight and concise. Twitter isn’t bogged down with ads and very rarely am I offered porn. Erotica to me is soft porn and I do find people who are suggested to me who are into that sort of thing, but that is NOT for me. For anyone who knows me knows I’m a prude when it comes to that stuff, so I stick to ‘following’ the audiobook industry, writers, authors, publishers, and a few causes to stop child abuse. Porno freaks beware, I WILL NOT follow you just because you follow me, sorry!

I’m also a member of LinkedIn and there are discussions on writing that will keep you busy for days! LinkedIn, yeah it’s one word, is an insightful site with groups galore where very intriguing discussions are had about the writing industry. I don’t see many in the audiobook industry there, but if you’re a writer and heading into the ‘Professional Writer’ status, then LinkedIn might be something you’re interested in to get your career headed in the right direction. At least you can share your opinions, craft tips or whatever you wish. A pretty cool site for the networker in you!

Well that about covers what I’ve been doing these days to further my career in writing. Facebook I leave for socializing with friends and family (far and few between, I might add) Twitter I like to call the meeting of the mind space, for me. And LinkedIn is all about discussion of the field out there for us writers! I seem to have all my ducks in a row, as they waddle to a new future away from the village that kept my lil ducks busy for years.

Onto brighter and better waters!

FREE! Audiobook Giveaway

I have a lot of writer friends and as such, I KNOW they are all avid readers/listeners also. I also know how people are when something for FREE shows up, they stand up, run and grab themselves one if they can get at it quick enough.

Well as most of you know, my beau runs a successful audiobook review blog. He may not be loaded up in the follower department, but he knows his business. He was once blind, a determined man, that is when he began the site, but recently (October 10,2011) he had a cornea transplant which restored some of his vision and he turned a so so (bleh) blog, into a pretty awesome (YEAH!) blog.

He’s affiliated with MANY publishers who send out audiobooks for him to review and he has gotten quite an arsenal of good reads that he, even if he listens to three a day, cannot get through them all.

So he started his once a month audiobook giveaway, which is just what it says, a FREE audiobook giveaway. How he chooses which book goes up for grabs is beyond me, but as he goes into his fourth successful book giveaway, I deem it a success. Here’s how it works: you comment on his book giveaway, LEAVE AN EMAIL where to reach you, and that’s it. Wait for the end of the month, and one lucky commentator will walk away with the audiobook in hand, FREE of charge.

The deciding part. How does he choose one person? Well that is simple, he waves his magic wand, no no I’m kidding, he has within his bag of tricks many-sided die. Yup an eight sided dice? (Old Dungeons and Dragons game, don’t ask) lol He tells me how many people have responded CORRECTLY and *I* use the die and roll. Easy peasy, quick and easy!

I say responded correctly because many don’t leave an email address and Stormcrow has a way to go around spam bots like writing, audiobook-heaven at gmail dot com (your email address there) See? He can put it together and email the winner but he is no detective, where if you leave no email, he can’t hunt you down via the masses of people on the internet. So please, in the giveaway, PLEASE leave an email address or you become disqualified for the freebie.

And there’s more. Believe it or not, one of his publisher friends at Griffyn Ink is offering a FREE audio giveaway too. They approached him, asked if he would give away their book and as the good guy that he is, he obliged. Same rules apply! Leave a comment and an email address!

From Audiobook-heaven: “That’s right, we’re giving away one copy of each A J Scudiere audiobook listed. If you have a preference as to which one you’d like to win, please note that in your comment and we’ll do our best to oblige but there are no guarantees. The three audiobooks will be given away in MP3-USB flash drive form.”

So there you have it writing friends. Free! Free! Free! Now have at it, as my gift to YOU! :D

Embrace the New Beginning

No one is able to enjoy such feast than the one who throws a party in his own mind. ~Selma Lagerlöf
***

What are you suppose to do, when something new smacks you in the face and life is sent into a spiral of change? Embrace it? Or move on to the next big upheaval?

While beau is having a high on audibook heaven,  receiving books to review from publishers, he’s found a few other ‘associates’ blogs to romp and comment on. Nothing like the meeting of the minds where books are concerned. He’s having a blast! Got himself a domain and all! Woohoo!

I’m on the other end. While I’m an avid reader, my fun is in writing and helping others learn the craft. Did I tell you that f2k Free Writing Course is starting on January 5. Last day to sign up is Jan. 3rd, so if you want to experience your love of writing, sign up and see if you have what it takes to be a writer. Sign up here: Writer’s Village University


From WVU:
Our next session of F2K (7-week creative writing course) begins January 5th, 2011.  It's easy to register, and it's free, thanks to volunteer Mentors from Writers' Village University.

First, make sure you're registered with the F2K Social Site. You will not be able to see registration links until this simple process is completed.

Click on "Login" then the "Register" link.

Enter your real name then your username and password choice. Only your username will be displayed to others. Your real name is used for your F2K Certificate upon course completion.

Important! You will receive an activation email with a link. Follow the link from your email (or copy and paste link into your browser). This will complete the F2K Social site registration.

Once you've completed activation, login to F2K Social, new links will appear in the navigation tabs.

***

There you have it! This will be the beginning of my new year, running around the halls with my friends, Benning, Gran, Silby, Leona and a few other mentors. New friendships will be made, the pursuit of happiness will be within our grasp, and all will be right with the world, hopefully continuing to spin on its axis. And audiobook heaven will soar into the cosmos and be everything beau dreams it to be.

This is going to be the year of change, not upheaval. Ride the wave and hope you land smoothly on the sand, and not drown in the undertow. Here’s wishing you all a Happy New Year!

Embrace the change!

Talk- o Tuesday

The Audio World...

I’m all audio-ed out. Okay that is not a word but you get my meaning. I’ve blogged about audio this and audio that, I’ve driven you across the country with a new way of reading books, I’ve given you links to help you find good reviews in Audio Book Heaven, I’ve guided you to to sites that will allow you to download movies that you can listen to, now I’m audio’ed out.

Is there anything else that I can add to the audio industry to make you understand how technological this stuff is? As I’ve said before, I’m no techie, so all this audio stuff is new to me. Gosh I remember uploading my first picture, it was the coolest thing since playing Scrabble, you know, the board game?

Board games are obsolete, cards on a family night have all but disappeared. Everyone spends time alone, and usually it is on the computer tapping keys, forgetting that a world exists out here.

I’ve never downloaded a single song, I like to use the old CD player for that. Gee, I might have to pull out my record player! A record player to you kids is the thing that those hip hop Dee Jay’s use to make that wicked squeaky sound, but us older folk actually used them to listen to music. Can you imagine that?

There is an audible world that comes alive when you close your eyes, did you know that? The blind have access to the secret dominion, and the sighted take it for granted. In my world where I never aspire to becoming a part of this technological world, I become one with the sounds of life. The hustle and bustle of the chirping birds, the wind dancing through the trees, cars roaring down the road, dove’s singing to their mate. All of this exist in the audible world called life.

So, as much as I want to continue on this Talk-o Tuesday audio stuff, I’m audio’ed out. Back to doing what I do best, writing about writing! Or writing about life and its ever changing aspects and the affect it is having on my life. :)

I’m not tired of writing or life yet. So on we go....:)

Talk-o Tuesday

There’s a new blog in town. Audio Book Heaven which is the same one as Critical Mass Media, and Reviews from the Deep. Why the old switcheroo?

Well let me tell you. My beau, who has gone blind, sits around and tries to find things to do. Blogging seemed like an interesting thing to do since he sees the joy it brings to me. I would let him mow the lawn, but my son and I love that too much. I would let him take the car for a spin, but for obvious reasons, I can’t let him do that.

Then there is blogging. He started with a journal of sorts of what it is to go blind and how he’s adjusted, but that turned into a journal of the past and present. It allowed people into his world, where normally being a very private man, friends and family were all in the know of what his personal life was going through.

Then he decided on audio book reviews, since he listens to them in the millions, (exaggeration here) so now he reviews them. Good reviews of your audio book arsenal if I do say so myself. Not just a one liner of, good book, either. He gives a really good in depth review and what I find interesting, if I haven’t read the book, it gives me a glimpse into the book and if I’d like to read it or not.

It can be very frustrating this blogging world. I mean being blind, having to listen to your screen reader tell you all the widgets and stuff that are available, then trying to do the entire layout. Beau didn’t like the name Critical Mass Media, so he switched it to Audio Book Heaven.

I think this name will stick, no matter which blog he chooses to pick from, whether wordpress or blogger. I hear wordpress has better graphics and widgets and they even have a help desk that really helps you! How cool is that?

So all in all the blogging world has a kind of new blog in town and Audio Book Heaven sounds just heavenly to me, but one never knows when the wind will sweep in again, so you just need to check my blog frequently, right? Write!

Or is that Write Right? *wink*

Talk-o Tuesday

Exodus 24:7 And he took the book of the covenant, and read in the audience of the people: and they said, All that the LORD hath said will we do, and be obedient.
***

Wow, it’s been awhile since I’ve had talk-o Tuesday hasn’t it. I never really have much to say about the audio book industry, that is until now.

My beau, who is blind, has done a major shake up at his Reviews in the Deep audio book blog. He decided to change the name, join affiliates, and I must say, he is up for the challenge that this new blog presents to him.

He is an avid reader of books, or should I say, he was an avid reader until he went blind. Now the audio book has taken on new meaning for him. He listens intently to every story, carries his MP3 player everywhere and I do believe he has listened to almost as many books as he ever read. That can’t be true because he has read thousands in his lifetime.

He reviews the audio book with finesse. Sure you can say, great book, but he has a different spin that other book reviewers just haven’t tapped into. They are not blind, so they review from what they see, while he reviews from what he hears.

Critical Mass Media is still in the building stages, but he is well on his way to such a wonderful piece of work in this blogging world, I felt it warranted its very own post. He gives the crux of the story without giving you the pivotal climax away. He is honest in his reviews too. If he doesn’t like it, he’ll let you know why it didn’t work for him but really he leaves it up to you to decide.

Apparently narration is everything in an audio book . He gives you the run down on the narrator and where warranted, he even gives you some background history of the narrator. There’s a duration of the book being reviewed also, abridged or unabridged version. Don’t you want to know if you’re going to want to invest 3 hours or ten hours in an audio book?

As a writer, I think audio book format is important because now I know that a bad narrator can ruin all my hard work, whereas a good narrator can lend to the work. Important things to think about as a writer.

Now what are you going to do next? I know, click the link Critical Mass Media, and peek in on the blog. Who doesn’t like a thumbs up or thumbs down on this journey? Maybe post a comment or two, read through some favorites such as The Shining, The Green Mile, or the wonderful book, Seven People You meet in Heaven. He has a variety of books already reviewed, so give him a click!  You won’t be sorry and you might even thank me for the info.