Benjamin Fife's Blog
November 12, 2020
Is this a kissing book? Part II - My Review of The Vine Eater by Carol Beth Anderson
So…. I’ve been highly remiss in reviewing everything I’ve listened to since say… May or so… But I have still been listening.
The Vine Eater by Carol Beth Anderson is book 2 in her series started with the Frost Eater. In this book, she continues to expand on her rich universe created in book. In Vine Eater, as evidenced by the title, the focus is much more on Zeisha, who we barely got to meet in book 1. She is my favorite character in the series. Reunited with Kray, she’s dealing with conflict between wanting to help her friends in their fight against the power that enslaved her in book 1, her repulsion of using her powers to harm others, and figuring out just what her relationship with Kray and her new friends should be. Her character arc in this book is delightful.
Like book 1 – this book is a YA directed fantasy, and as older teenagers – it can be a bit of a “kissing book.” (click here to read my review of book 1) BUT Anderson has created a character - Sarza - who is a perfect foil to the Lovey-Dovey nature of the 2 primary couples in the series. Not every teenager is a raging hormone. Some either 1- don’t get it, or 2- are slightly repulsed by it. Some remain like the kid in The Princess Bride. The fact that the author included a well developed character in this book who identifies in this group absolutely delighted me. I’m a father of 3 teenagers, and one of them is the model she could have used for this character. I was a raging hormone as a kid, so its been a journey as a parent understanding a kid who isn’t that way, and Kudos to Anderson for writing to them as well. I look forward to where she goes with this character in the ensuing book(s).
The other prominent couple (Nora and Ovrum) also go through some very important development personally and in their relationship – learning that in order to grow, they must sometimes be willing to give up a dream that has been important to them in favor of a dream that they can accomplish together.
Anderson also tackles the issue of addiction, secrets, dependancy & many other things head on, but in a fashion that makes it very approachable as well.
Again in this book, the characters are believable, likeable & well developed. She does a great job narrating her own book too. For every 1 author that narrates their own books well, there are probably 10 who shouldn't. I also love the setting of this book – Being a far distant dystopian future on a planet where magic has become part of everyday life due to a cataclysm referred to as The Day. Each chapter is begun with a snippet from a pre-day teenage journalist. Their apparent Pre-day technological & societal development parralells our own & Anderson is able to give us a kind of commentary on relevant events in our day in an oblique fashion – as traditional Sci-fi does brilliantly. 5 stars again all around. I’m eagerly awaiting the next book!
November 10, 2020
An Epic Adventure with Jenelle Schmidt
Last week I had the pleasure of interviewing Jenelle Schmidt. You can click on the video to watch our whole rambling conversation. We talk about our collaboration on King's Warrior, Tolkien, The Hobbit movie, Discworld, Charles Dickens, Timothy Zahn and much more. I recommend watching at double speed because its more fun that way. :)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4FVoYgyiATg&t=1sWe’re doing an audiobook tour for book 1 this week & I’m almost done recording book 2. I wanted to give you some more insight into our partnership & a review of my own personal experience with this brilliant book. Going back to January 31st, 2020 – I was looking for new material to narrate & came across this:
This is the first book in a complete 4-book series. I hope to eventually release all four books in audio format. As an author, I plan to promote any audio versions of this book [etc. etc.] The story is in 3rd person omniscient and the cast is fairly large. I have been told that my style flows well when read out loud (that it's easy to read aloud). My characters vary in age and experience. Kamarie - 18 year old feisty, headstrong princess, sarcastic streak, but also compassionate and kind. Oraeyn - 19 year old squire, on the cusp of becoming a knight, responsible, frustrated with the job he has been given, but determined to see it through. Yole - 10 year old orphan, cautious, shy, life has dealt him a rough hand. Brant - 45 year old warrior, quiet, stoic. There are some more difficult names and words to pronounce in the book, but I have a full pronunciation guide available.
Jenelle also mentioned that the book had a cast of 67 characters.
Some would tell me I’m nuts to go for something like this, but I saw it, read the audition script & thought, "Wow. This looks epic." I went to her website & read her story of how she started writing & I thought – this could be one of my kids in 10 years. So I recorded an audition & decided to give it a go.
When I got the deal, I was excited already. Then – I read the book. And I was frustrated! Frustrated that I had so many other books that I had to get done first! I still enjoyed narrating all of them too, but this was the book I’d been waiting for & looking for since I started narrating. So I worked & waited.
Then I finally got to start narrating it. I loved it enough that after a couple of chapters of narrating it, I insisted my wife read it too. So she read it. And she loved it. And when I was about half through narrating it, my turn came up to pick our family read aloud book. So I picked it to read again (It sometimes got a little confusing reading one chapter to my kids in the evening, narrating further along in the story at night, and usually editing a chapter I had recorded a couple days before in the daytime. I was fully immersed in the story.
I still loved it!
Here’s why: First - Jenelle’s writing is just as she said – easy to read aloud (Even with proper nouns like Cruithaor Elchiyl and Tellurae Aquaous – once you get their pronunciation down). Second – Her characters are delightful, well rounded, and with EPIC arcs. Her prose is descriptive without being dull. As someone who loves Tolkien, Lewis, Alexander and other similar authors, her style and skill is on parr with them. There are elements in this book that are apparent to the reader long before the characters spill the beans, but its done in such a way that you’re excited for the other characters to learn the truth about who they are, who their friends are, and who the true enemy is and the truth about their enemy. She gives us a wide array of beings and ages, ranging from a 10 year old orphan boy who is far more than he knows, to wizards and wizardesses and dragons that are centuries old. And as tragedy strikes the people in the book, their reactions are genuine. I loved the insights into humanity that she brings to the forefront through the plot and how the characters learn and grow. As I read the book to my kids, everyone from my 17 year old daughter down to my 6 year old son thoroughly enjoyed it. So much so, that while we did read 2 books in between, my 16 year old picked Second Son for our nightly read aloud earlier this week. So now I’m going through the same routine I did with book 1! Each of our kids have a name from a book we love… If we weren’t done, I’m pretty sure our next kid would bear the name of Oraeyn or Kamarie. I still think there’s a pretty good chance I might end up with a grandkid named from this series. My 6 year old paid more attention to my reading of this series than any book I’ve read them before. He says he wants to name a son Brant.
I also adore Jenelle’s very strong female characters from all three books that I’ve read so far (still have to get to The Minstrel’s Call). Kamarie, Zara, Dylanna, Calyssia, Leila, Rena, Calla, Llewana. All strong characters & every bit as important as heroines in this series as the male characters in this series. And I also love her treatment of Dragons. Having now narrated 6 books in Jane Austen’s Dragons by Maria Grace, I’ve discovered its my favorite part about narrating fantasy. I get to be the dragon voices too. And just like that series, it’s not just A dragon, but Dragons.
Which brings me to another thing I love about her writing: Her world building is delightful. Through interviewing her, I know she didn’t have the world completely fleshed out to begin with in her mind, or even by the time she wrote book 3, but the flavor of the world is consistent & beautiful. The mythology of this world is deep & rich. Her invented names for places, people, and different terms for some things (such as Dragon’s Eye instead of the Sun) draw you into a fantastical world. As I read book 2, I found her description of one particular mythical beast so intriguing – and I had never heard of it before – that I googled it. Solely her creation. Courtesy one keysmash for a name of the creatures – seheowks. But I don’t want to get ahead of King’s Warrior too much in this review & introduction.
The only weaknesses I really find aren’t even weaknesses in my mind. From the audition script, I was pretty sure she was at least taking some inspiration from Lloyd Alexander. And you can see some similarities here and there to the Prydain series. But that’s about as far as comparison to it goes. It is a broader world than Prydain and the series is much more epic in its scope. Her characters are richer & much more three dimensional. The end of book one already had elements that made me think of the end of Return of the King.
Multiple times in producing these books, I’ve been moved to near tears in performance, as well as goose bumps. I'd share some of my favorite scenes here, but I don't want to spoil them for you! If you like fantasy, if you like epic adventure, if you like books that are safe to read to anyone from childhood to however old you like, this book should fit the bill. If you don’t listen to my performance of it, check out the book on Kindle or a physical copy. This now holds a special place on my shelf. I think it belongs right up there with Tolkien & Lewis. Though now that I think about it… The 8-year-old has it in her bed reading it again now, so the shelf has an open spot where it belongs.
The other fun thing about narrating this book was I was able to get some of my family involved as well. My wife sings as a woman much better than I sing as a woman (imagine that!) - So she sings Dylanna's song. She also wrote & performed the mandolin music in the credits. There's another song that calls for multiple characters singing it & I was able to have my 3 oldest kids join me & my wife to perform that one. I hope you enjoy it.
If you’ve read the book or the series, I’d love to hear your thoughts on it. Let me know what you think! I'd also love to hear back from you about my performance.
p.s. - If you watch the whole video - We DID watch The Man Who Invented Christmas on Saturday and loved it too. Coming next month - I'll be doing a live reading of A Christmas Carol.
October 27, 2020
An Unedited and Mostly Transparent Account of Becoming a Successful Audiobook Narrator, Part I
Forasmuch as many have taken in hand to set forth in order a declaration of those
things which… most surely [brought me to where I am today, or at least many have asked me to put it forth in writing], Even as they delivered them unto us, which from the beginning were eyewitnesses, [and other audiobook narrators], It seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding [or at least my own understanding] of all things from the very first, to write unto thee in order, most excellent Theophilus, [okay, I don’t actually know a Theophilus.. or even a Theo], That thou mightest know the certainty of those things, wherein [I embarked upon my career as an audiobook narrator].
- KJV Bible, Luke Chapter 1 verses 1-4. Brackets added. My apologies. I’m probably going to hell now.
A little over 6 months ago, I quit my dayjob in favor of one of my passions: Storytelling. Specifically, narrating audiobooks. It will be 3 years ago this February that I first started looking into it consciously, but my subconscious had been kicking around the idea for more than a decade. But it was February 2018 that I started taking action. A night shortly before my 39th birthday my wife and I were settling down for the night for our version of "Pizza, Booze, Telly" (yes we're Dr. Who Junkies), & she said something to the effect of “Hey – you should check out this website that I found – ACX.com.
You can audition to narrate audiobooks.” For more than a decade, I’d been reading every night to our kids. Anything from Harry Potter to Jane Eyre to Hank the Cowdog. (That’s what happens when you let everyone take turns picking what book they want me to read). More than once, I had expressed how much I would love to narrate audiobooks. It didn’t take much to get my attention. I enjoyed my job, but I knew this was something I could excel at & enjoy.
Within 24 hours, I had my profile set up on ACX.com. I had never recorded myself before, so I googled about ACX & narrating. I signed up for Krystal Wascher’s Audiobook Challenge. She’s got some good pointers and some good recommendations on equipment to get you started. I don’t know that I would recommend her course for others starting out, partially because I feel like she’s still very much on the beginning side of things as well. She’s assembled some good information and has good advice, but considering her total finished hours on audible is only 140 NOW, nearly 3 years after I took her course, I don’t know that I’d qualify her as an expert (granted, I know she narrates under a different name too – so do I – I’ve got 20 hours logged under that name already). There is better information and advice to be found from Sean Pratt or NarratorsRoadmap.com. My total finished hours on Audible right now is sitting at more than 196 with 20 hours sitting in ACX’s bottleneck of quality control queue, and more than 20 hours in books on other venues aside excluding audible. So at this point, I still wouldn’t qualify ME as an expert when it comes to Audiobook Narration. I do think I’m pretty good at what I do, but I’m also continually looking to improve. But to give at least credit where credit is due… Krystal Wascher has a good little challenge to get a newbie going and excited.
Wow I can get off on tangents easily.
Back to my journey: I got a cheap USB Mic from the music store the next day and within a week I was auditioning for audiobooks, including some WAY beyond my then ability. There are narrators and coaches out there who will caution you against this. Its what I did & I don’t regret it. I got turned down on several, then I got 2 offers in a day. Because I hadn’t yet watched videos or read about how royalty share is a bad idea for a narrator (especially if you don't check how the book is selling to begin with), and because I hadn’t done anything professionally with it previously, I jumped at the chance on both. And I did that a few more times. I don’t think its any kind of career killing move. In fact, I’m willing to bet nearly every “successful” narrator who started on ACX started this way. If you have 50 titles, you’ve narrated, I’m willing to bet at least one of them is a complete clunker. My first efforts were fraught with technical rejections, poor quality recording equipment, poor recording space, poorly edited manuscripts (at least one that was barely a step above Engrish). But I was learning and I even enjoyed what I did.
My first royalty check came at the end of April 2018 for a whopping $13.87. WOOHOO!!!
I recorded nightly & in the mornings and on Saturdays. I kept auditioning. When I
came across a book anywhere that I liked, I checked to see if it was available on Audible. On one such occasion, my wife had just finished reading The Way of Aloha: Lana’i by Cameron C. Taylor. She had read some of his other material, and I liked the part she showed me. It was a newer release, so I found his website, reached out to him & we met for lunch in June of 2018. He had a couple of books that he had recorded but had been rejected by audible for technical reasons. I had recorded an audition for him that I played for him as we had lunch. That to me is when I really started learning & growing as a narrator. Cameron was the first author who I met directly & I brought him to the ACX platform. I have since narrated 5 books with him & we plan to continue to partner.
But my equipment & space were still garbage. I tried closets & they worked okay. At least if I turned off the fridge on the other side of the wall… That summer I probably lost more in food spoilage than I brought in from narrating. But I still was having fun and learning. I kept auditioning, kept recording what I had been selected for, kept improving my skills & knew I needed to get better equipment. I landed my first paid finished hour gig that fall right about the same time I landed a whale of a cough. I went a month without recording a word & my enthusiasm was equally as up at this point. When I finally started to get better, I discovered something that I’ve remembered since… Resting your voice is important when you're sick, but don’t coddle it indefinitely. I had tried all kinds of things to get rid of my cough, but it just wasn’t working. I had a book to narrate that was finally going to yield at least a little paycheck. I had to get it recorded. I finally decided I just had to push through & make it work. After my first recording session in over a month, my throat and voice felt BETTER than it had before the session. So I got back to it & the cough was gone within a week. The book was done within a month. I was able to take most of the paycheck and put it toward some much better equipment. (I then got an MXL-770 with a Scarlet 2I2 if you’re wondering – not perfect or incredibly expensive, but INCREDIBLY better than what I had been using).
I was busy at work and doing pretty well there at that point too. My royalty check in November of 2018 was a $4.60. And I only had 1 title still waiting to be done that I had agreed with Cameron to record. I was kind of at a low point with my journey at that point. None of my auditions were going anywhere. But I also had just gotten my new mic. By this point, my hobby career had cost at least as much as I had gotten out of it & I was spending so much of my free time editing, auditioning and so on. I asked my wife when I had a particularly low day if she was really ok for me to keep going with this. Her response has been an inspiration anchor point to me ever since. “I’ve never seen you so happy.” That did it for me. I had planned on recording A Christmas Carol
for friends & family that year already, so I poured myself into that project in a new recording space. My new mic wouldn’t work in my old space. It was too sensitive & the room was too echo-y. So my studio moved from my wife’s music store spare office to my in-laws spare bedroom. I got it set up pretty well & did a pile of auditions once I was done with A Christmas Carol. I posted A Christmas Carol on my Soundcloud account and started using it as my calling card along with my auditions.
I went back through all the old books I had auditioned for that were still open for auditions & messaged the rights holders. I started to follow up regularly on anything I auditioned for. January of 2019, I got 3 offers in a week. One was just an offer after I had sent a follow up email on an audition I had recorded 6 months before. My subject line? ‘Finished Audiobook by March 1st.’ I had emailed them every month since I auditioned without hearing a word back. It was a book I REALLY wanted to narrate.
In February I got 2 more offers, and my first hybrid offer. This was before Royalty
Share Plus was an official thing. Maria Grace’s Pemberly: Mr. Darcy’s Dragon was listed as a Royalty Share project, but she had also said in the comments that she was willing to pay an additional stipend because she recognized that as a narrator, it's nice to eat now as well as five years down the road. While partnering with Maria isn’t the only key to my success, it sure helped me move my time frame up considerably for going full time as a narrator. I took the stipend payment and started my website. Now instead of sending potential authors and listeners to my ACX profile, Audible, Soundcloud, or any other choice of places that were someone else’s platform, I could communicate my message directly to them from my own platform. My narrative was now my own. Even if my initial website design was simplistic and minimal (I’m not saying that its perfect now by any means – like me, it’s a work in progress).
Before I go much further – I want to talk about how “success” is such a loaded term, as is failure. I have books that I’ve made less than $20 on. Are they failures? Maybe. Probably close to half of my income from audiobooks has come directly from my partnership with Maria Grace. Do I view that as a success? Yes. But anything is not an end unto itself. I viewed my first audition as a success. Because I did it. I didn’t get it, but I did it! The “failure” books? I’ve got dozens of reviews from them, most of them still on the positive end of the spectrum. I learned from what was in their pages. I improved in the process of narrating them. They add to my overall corpus of material. Do I hope they’re what folks will judge my performance by? Not really. But it was a lot easier to approach Cameron Taylor and say, "I’ve produced 2 audiobooks, maybe we could partner," than it would be if I came to him as a complete unknown. When I auditioned for Maria Grace, the half dozen books I had produced said something about me. I was able to get it done. The fact that I chose to record A Christmas Carol just because I wanted to also showed that I’m passionate about my craft. Plus, I was able to narrate something written by one of the most skilled writers of all time, fixing my name next to Charles Dickens. Success is what you define it to be. To me, I am a successful full time audiobook narrator. Success for me means I’m happy. It means I love what I do. It means I’m getting compensated for the time and effort I put into it. Sometimes that compensation is monetary. Having a reviewer say they could listen to me all day and all night is compensation. Being mistaken for Richard Armitage is compensation. Getting goosebumps while in the recording booth is even a compensation. Having an excellent author write a blog post about how I’ve spoiled them for any other narrators is compensation.
But there is a bottom line here to be dealt with as well. Warm fuzzies don’t pay the mortgage or put food on the table. But after my first royalty check from narrating Pemberly – I decided to reinvest in my business again, and this time on a grander scale. I bought and built my studio starting in August of 2019. I crunched the numbers, and was at the point that I knew I could now count on X amount per month, which would cover the monthly payment for my storage shed & materials to convert it to a functioning audio studio. No longer would I be at the mercy of anyone else’s space and time (or so I thought, at least). In the very least – no more 5- or 15-minute commute to record. Meaning instead of 1 book every 1 to 2 months, I could guarantee output of at least a book a month, and that was while I was still working full time with an hour and a half commute. Like so many other things, the more you put in, the more you get out. I was to the point where I had more books under contract than I could produce in 3 or even 4 months. Several of my authors were booking me for an entire series, or at least getting in line. My pipeline was becoming steady enough that I knew I could afford more regular investment in my business.
In the meantime, my dayjob that a year before I had still loved… Well.. I didn’t anymore. I was a butt in a seat. My boss that I got along with left right about the time I started my partnership with Maria Grace. In the next year, my enthusiasm for my side gig burned bright and my distaste for working for “the man” grew. When “the man” doesn’t hire replacements, but just redistributes hats again and again. It begins to become apparent that working for “the man” was not going to be any more of a sure thing than working for myself. Gradually, the nails fell into the coffin of my commitment & excitement about my dayjob. Number crunching on my side gig went into overdrive. Plans began cycling. What was originally a thought of 2 years away got pushed up 6 months at a time.
At the end of 2019, I was approached for the first time out of the blue by an author about a project. Didn’t have to audition. Brad Swift found me & I partnered for the first time with another professional narrator (Meg Price) on his book The Fringe Candidate. I’ve now produced 4 books with Brad & we plan on continuing to partner. I’ve still never recorded an audition for him. Shortly after signing on to do his initial project, Ken Brown reached out to me about narrating Call to Purpose. I did have to audition for that one, but it came the day after my wife and I had discussed my timeline for exiting my dayjob & contemplating pushing it back a month. I got confirmation that I would produce his book Call to Purpose that resonated so well with me personally that the final nails were put in the day job’s coffin. I also signed contracts with Paul Arvidson to narrate Dark and Jenelle Schmidt to narrate King’s Warrior that same time, along with books 5 & 6 of Maria Grace’s Jane Austen’s Dragons.
I gave my 2 week notice to “the Man” mid March. Right when things started shutting down. The week after my last day, everyone who worked for this particular “man” was telecommuting. And my former boss was calling me at least weekly to guide him through how to do my old job. That was now more than 6 months ago. Has my income matched what it was working for “the man” yet? No. Has my job satisfaction increased? Exponentially. And now I can wear my pajamas if I want OR I can wear my absurdly loud Bollywood inspired jacket.
There is SO much more I can say about my own personal journey on the road to – and now as – a successful audiobook narrator. Hence, part 1. In upcoming blog posts I’ll cover the following:
· Working with authors
· Working with Publishers
· Gaining and interacting with an audience.
· Working with other narrators.
· Working with editors.
· Recording methods
· Recording spaces
· Recording Equipment
· Taking care of my voice
· What defines Success, What defines Failure and Why you should want both.
· One size seldom fits all
· Parting ways amicably
· Opening communications and keeping them open
· Getting reviews, Getting good reviews and Dealing with negative reviews and the difference between a negative review and a poor review.
· Royalty share, Paid Finished Hour, and Royalty Share Plus.
· Payment methods
· Poorly edited manuscripts
· Pronunciation woes
· AND MORE!!!
I’m going to try to make this a weekly thing in order to be writing regularly & answering questions for those who may have them. I hope you enjoy it. If I miss a week or a month… Life happens. And I’m probably busy editing my next audiobook.
October 14, 2020
Dark.. Darker.. and Cheese... And Dr. Who
I came across an interview with Paul Arvidson about his novel Dark about 9 months ago. The idea of a planet, and a people, that have no sense of sight piqued my interest. I reached out to him to see if he had thought about doing it as an audiobook. In our back & forth emails, he told me that indeed he had thought about it. I told him how he could get it on audible & that I’d love to partner with him on it.
Then, he opened it up for auditions. I initially thought, “Dangit! This was my idea!” But ultimately, it’s his idea and story, so I can’t really blame him for wanting to make sure he got the right person for the job. Long and short of it – He did ultimately select me as the narrator, despite my not being able to get to it for about 5 months due to previous contracts. But anticipation is always kind of fun. It’s part of what makes Christmas so exciting. So then he & I waited. I read his book & still was excited to do it, which is always a good thing as a narrator. It’s no fun if you sign a contract, read the book & think, “Oh, Dang, what have I signed up for.” (Fortunately a very seldom occurrence with me – I won’t get into specifics).
I loved Paul’s very visceral writing. If you’re going to write a book about people who can’t see, you can’t really reference things in a sight based way. But naturally, as a sight gifted race ourselves, we can’t help but form mental visual pictures in our heads of the way he, and the characters of Dark describe things. Kind of like he’s given us infrared goggles into this unique world. As a narrator, It also was a unique challenge for some of the interactions with characters. Removing sight entirely from the equation, we are forced to rely on other senses. And for an audiobook, that’s going to mean sound more than anything else. Though maybe an Olfactory book should be in order for Dark as well. Come up with that for me, Jeff Bezos… Maybe a Braille edition should be printed too. Then the folk could appreciate it in 3 ways at least. But until those editions are made available, we sighted folk will have to be content with print, ebook, and now audiobook. I hope my interpretations of Paul’s abundant onomatopoeia bring at least one unique flavor of this book to life.
Through the book, you gradually discover more & more about the “folk.” Some reviewers have described them as “Hobbits in Space,” and in a way, that’s not too far off the mark. One of my favorite moments in the whole book is when the one character who you eventually find out is NOT “folk” says, “Sound off, Chipmunks.” That’s about as many spoilers as I’m going to give in this quasi-review/interview.
I loved voicing the characters throughout this book & am now thoroughly enjoying returning to them again for the sequel. When I voice a sequel, one thing I do is go back to listen to my performance of the original. I did so for Dark and, not to toot my own horn (though I did that in this book for the first time in an audiobook. More spoilers. Oops.) I think we created a pretty cool thing together. Since I’m a little too familiar with the narrator, I’ll refrain from ranking his performance – though, it is kind of cool to say that I enjoyed it. To rank Paul’s writing – It was very engaging. There were elements that I don’t necessarily want to draw attention to that seemed redundant to me. In recording aloud an entire book, there aren’t many that I’ve come across that I don’t think that a time or two. So, Story wise – I’d rank it 4.5 stars, and writing wise, 4. This being Paul’s first novel, I think that’s a pretty good initial showing. And as I’ve been recording Darker – I think he’s moved from 4 to 4.5.
Now – when Paul let me know that he was going to do an audiobook blog tour – I knew I wanted to participate. But I wanted mine to be unique. You’ll find a lot of carbon copies of our interview questions on some of the other participants, and I certainly appreciate the exposure. But for me, I wanted to pick his brain in real time & offer you & those on the fence about whether to listen to Dark a preview of what you’re in store for. Plus, I wanted to actually talk to him. We’ve done lots of email back and forth in 9 months, but him being in England & me in Idaho, we had never connected.
So, without further ado, Please enjoy my first self-produced video interview of one of my authors. If this doesn't make you want to check out the book, I don't know what would.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jHFDSbXrgNY
I think we're pretty funny. But if you really want to get a kick out of it, watch it at double speed. I won't get offended. Your time is precious. :)
BTW Paul… I may appropriate your unique accent & mannerisms for future characters. So’s ya know. It was great talking with you.
For more info on Dark, Click here.
For More reviews & Interviews with both Paul & Me about our experience with Dark & more, check out the other participants in the Dark Audiobook tour Here:
https://audiobookwormpromotions.com/dark/
That's all for now, Chipmunks.
October 1, 2020
Can SOMEONE PLEASE step up as a Write in Candidate worth electing?
I didn't come up with this exact assessment of out presidential candidates, but it seems to fit them like a glove. We're faced with a choice of a completeley amoral incumbent, challenged by someone unabashedly plucked from the heart of the political machine that is Washington.
Does NO one remember 2016? or any other election in my lifetime? I'd love to see a poll with a percent of people who are actually PLEASED and HAPPY to vote for either candidate. The last time a 3rd party candidate was even remotely fielded was 1992 with H. Ross Perot. I get it. 3rd parties don't seem to work in our current system.
When the absurd pageant that is the presidential election process rolls around every 4 years (though more and more we're being forced to endure 2 freakin' years of campaigning), I ask myself again and again, WHY are we still using this broken system (and don't get me started on the disgusting amount of money already poured into this quarter-annual charade that exceeds the GDP of several small countries). 2016 had the singular outcome of throwing out some of the status quo with the election of Donald Trump, but unfortunately in the ensuing 4 years, the Republican party has decided to rebrand themselves as part of the Trump Franchise. As such, they have lost all credibility. Four years ago, the same republicans who were digging in their heels that the American people should have the ultimate say in who gets to sit on the Supreme court by refusing to confirm a qualified nominee are now anxious to pack the court before Ruth Bader Ginsberg's euology could be given.
The 2 parties in power have rigged the system to keep themselves in power to the exclusion of any other options. After the absurd "debate" the other night, I have no idea how anyone can stomach supporting the current system.
My wife has shared with me several articles from longtime Republicans coming out and saying they cannot in good conscience vote for Trump, but they come to the same conclusion: That in order to defeat Trump, one must support Biden. Again... Does NO one remember 2016? Trump was voted in because of the astounding amount of people who couldn't stomach another Clinton Whitehouse.
Democrats I follow feel the same way about Trump this year! If all we are ever getting out of the primary funnel is the lesser of 2 evils (and if you ask me, they tend to lean in the primary field as possibly the most evil option), the time has come to discard the funnel.
Ancient Democracies and Republics had some very good results with essentially "conscripted" representatives. I would be willing to elect almost anyone outside the political establishment (And Trump is now officially part of said establishment) at this point & have more confidence in their ability and the direction our country is headed. If the Presidency, senators, Representatives, and Court Justices were selected like Jury Duty, I think we'd be in a lot better shape. Have a plumber for President. Or a WOMAN for heaven's sake. If you don't think the system is designed to keep those in power there, that alone should be enough of an indicator. Women received the right to vote 100 years ago. 1 unsuccessful presidential final candidate in a century. 2008 had a blip named Barack Obama. The only successful black presidential candidate ever. 2016 had the first "outsider" since probably Teddy Roosevelt. But again, Trump has now appropriated the Republican party & unfortunately much of the "right."
The day after the Debate, This delightful video was posted:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=un9x-DjTMT0
I jokingly replied that Weird Al should be the Write in candidate. But really, the whole idea that we're stuck with these 2 as the option is so ridiculous. We still have a month until the election. How many Millionaires and Billionaires could EASILY throw their hats in the ring as a write in candidate. Throw some advertising dollars combined with name recognition & buck the whole dang system. Trump already proved that Celebrity status will do it for you, whatever your moral failings or lack of consistency, or civility, etc. etc. So Here's a list:
Jeff Bezos
Oprah Winfrey
Bill Gates
Michael Bloomberg
Jimmy Kimmel
Clint Eastwood
Steven Spielberg
Angelina Jolie
Jerry Seinfeld
Viola Davis
Beyonce
Ron Howard
Harrison Ford
Warren Buffet
Elon Musk
Ann Walton Kroenke
Bob Dylan for Heaven's sake.
I'm not saying I agree or disagree with any of their personal politics or policies, but hey. Can't be any worse than what's already on tap.
You can look for any of America's top 400 Billionaires Here: https://www.forbes.com/forbes-400/
Pick one. I'm sure they couldn't screw up the country any more than it has been for the last 41 that I've been alive & they'd be hard pressed to screw it up more than Donald Trump alone has done. And they've got the money to get our semi-literate attention. If ever there was a chance for a write in candidate to win, 2020 is it. Please step forward. Pretty Please. As it is someone could probably have their name changed to None of the Above and win.
August 12, 2020
Zak Bates Readup Event No. 2
Join Us.
That’s right, our first Zak Bates Eco-adventure series was so much fun for parents and kids alike that we’re hosting another one.
And we’re expanding who is invited. This one is
Perfect for kids between roughly 8 – 15 and their parents or guardians,
Anyone else who enjoys light fantasy with a humorous edge, and
Especially if you love animals.
After all, the eco-adventure team is made up of Ra-Kit, the last living magic cat, Sampson, her giant flying dog, and 13-year-old Zak Bates.
Click Image to download Chapters 1-3
We’ll meet in the Zoom Room for a fun hour as we read part of Dominion Over All, Book I of the Zak Bates Eco-adventure series. With its white-knuckle action and a wholly green, eco-friendly message, this is the perfect way to kick off this new adventure together. Share in the fun, excitement, and magic that only READING can provide!
Here are the details:
Day & Time: Wednesday, from 7-8 PM EDT (5-6 PM MDT)
Date: August 12, 2020
Do I Need the Book?: No, you don’t. That’s why the Eco-adventure Team invited me, the author. I’ll bring a copy that can be read online. However, if you’d like a copy, you can order the book in ebook format (PDF, epub, mobi) direct from my online bookstore here:
You can also order it from Amazon as a Kindle or quality paperback by Clicking Here.
And don’t worry, we’ll summarize the chapters we read in Readup #1 to make sure you’re caught up. You can also download the first three chapters here or catch up with this video summary:
Who is W. Bradford Swift Anyway? I’m the author of 26 books of science fiction, fantasy, and visionary fiction including the three books of the Zak Bates Eco-adventure series. You can learn more boring stuff about me on my bio page here.
Where We Will Meet: In the Zoom Room (virtually and online). Upon registering, you will be provided with information on how to join.
Special Treats for Readup #2This will be a Coloring Book Page Day: Start by downloading one or both coloring pages below, then printing them out.
Flying off on another adventure
Then, get to coloring it in prep for the Readup Show and Tell time. Yes, this is for kids, parents, and kids at heart. Everyone can join in!
This is also an Invite Your Friends Day: You know you’ve got friends that could use a break from the hectic, crazy world we’re all living in. So invite them to join you. After all, it’s on Zoom so everyone can attend that wants to.
Special Guest Reader: As he did last time, my good friend and professional audiobook narrator, Ben Fife, will be there to read sections of the book with the different voices of each character that he’ll be using when he narrates the three books of the series. You don’t want to miss this.
Ready to Start a New Adventure in Reading?
If this sounds like a fun, engaging way to spend quality time with your kids this summer, then complete the brief application below, and you’ll hear from me in no time. Combining technology’s modern marvels with storytelling—the oldest artform—together we will soon ensure your child has a passion for reading. This will also be a fun time for ‘kids young at heart’ and animal lovers of all ages.
If you can’t make this one (or you find registration is closed), and you’d like to know of future Readups, Click Here.
Or sign up to my newsletter to be kept up to date on what goes on in the madcap mind of an indie author by entering your name in the left sidebar. (You’ll also receive a free copy of the Zak Bates Eco-adventure, prequel, Ra-Kit’s Initiation.)
If you are associated with a book club or library and would be interested in arranging for an Author’s Virtual Visit, Click Here. (Your event could be for young readers or adults.)
June 30, 2020
Zak Bates Eco-Adventure Summer Readup event.
The Readup is ideally suited for kids roughly between the ages of eight to fifteen and a “book buddy” mom, dad, or guardian (and yes, an older sibling can be your buddy). We’ll meet in the Zoom Room for a fun hour as we read part of
Here are the details:
Day & Time: Wednesday, from 6-7 PM EDT (3-4 PM PAC)
Date: July 1
Do I Need the Book?: No, you don’t. That’s why we invited the author. He’ll bring a copy that can be read online. If you’d like a copy, you can order the book in ebook format (PDF, epub, mobi) direct from the author here:
You can also order it from Amazon as a Kindle or quality paperback by
Who is W. Bradford Swift Anyway? He’s the author of 26 books of science fiction, fantasy, and visionary fiction including the three books of the Zak Bates Eco-adventure series. You can learn more on the
Where We Will Meet: In the Zoom Room (virtually and online). Upon registering, you will be provided with information on how to join.
Additional Extras that May Be Offered in Future Readups:
Character Days:
In these sessions, several of the participants will take on the role of their favorite characters, reading those parts.
Art Days:
This activity will give children the chance to draw or paint some of the standout scenes or characters, and share them with the class.
Invite a Friend Day:
In this ReadUp, kids can invite one or more of their friends to join the fun.
Guest Readers:
More surprises await. Guest readers may include adventurous parents, YouTube personalities, and professional audiobook voice actors who have collaborated on my previous works.
Show Your Pet Day:
If you have a ‘fur baby’ as part of your family you’d like to share with everyone in the Readup, this is the day to do it. We’ll announce it a week ahead of time.
Ready to Start a New Adventure in Reading?
If this sounds like a fun, engaging way to spend quality time with your kids this summer, then complete the brief application below, and you’ll hear from me in no time! Combining technology’s modern marvels with storytelling—the oldest artform—together we will soon ensure your child has a passion for reading! This will also be a fun time for ‘kids young at heart’ and animal lovers of all ages.
If you can’t make this one (or you find registration is closed), and you’d like to know of future Readups,
If you are associated with a book club or library and would be interested in arranging for an
I (Benny Fife) will be joining Brad for this event. To register
Zak Bates Eco-Adveture Summer Readup event.
The Readup is ideally suited for kids roughly between the ages of eight to fifteen and a “book buddy” mom, dad, or guardian (and yes, an older sibling can be your buddy). We’ll meet in the Zoom Room for a fun hour as we read part of
Here are the details:
Day & Time: Wednesday, from 6-7 PM EDT (3-4 PM PAC)
Date: July 1
Do I Need the Book?: No, you don’t. That’s why we invited the author. He’ll bring a copy that can be read online. If you’d like a copy, you can order the book in ebook format (PDF, epub, mobi) direct from the author here:
You can also order it from Amazon as a Kindle or quality paperback by
Who is W. Bradford Swift Anyway? He’s the author of 26 books of science fiction, fantasy, and visionary fiction including the three books of the Zak Bates Eco-adventure series. You can learn more on the
Where We Will Meet: In the Zoom Room (virtually and online). Upon registering, you will be provided with information on how to join.
Additional Extras that May Be Offered in Future Readups:
Character Days:
In these sessions, several of the participants will take on the role of their favorite characters, reading those parts.
Art Days:
This activity will give children the chance to draw or paint some of the standout scenes or characters, and share them with the class.
Invite a Friend Day:
In this ReadUp, kids can invite one or more of their friends to join the fun.
Guest Readers:
More surprises await. Guest readers may include adventurous parents, YouTube personalities, and professional audiobook voice actors who have collaborated on my previous works.
Show Your Pet Day:
If you have a ‘fur baby’ as part of your family you’d like to share with everyone in the Readup, this is the day to do it. We’ll announce it a week ahead of time.
Ready to Start a New Adventure in Reading?
If this sounds like a fun, engaging way to spend quality time with your kids this summer, then complete the brief application below, and you’ll hear from me in no time! Combining technology’s modern marvels with storytelling—the oldest artform—together we will soon ensure your child has a passion for reading! This will also be a fun time for ‘kids young at heart’ and animal lovers of all ages.
If you can’t make this one (or you find registration is closed), and you’d like to know of future Readups,
If you are associated with a book club or library and would be interested in arranging for an
I (Benny Fife) will be joining Brad for this event. To register
June 2, 2020
Recent Releases & What's in the Pipeline
As much as I want to get back to blogging regularly, Spring and summer insist on grabbing my attention. Lawn needs mowed. Garden needs attention. And after winter in Idaho, I just CAN'T say no to being outside as much as possible. As a matter of fact, I'm now doing most of my editing for upcoming audiobooks sitting outside under my favorite tree. Here's a quick rundown of what's come out recently:
My 3 most recent releases are all part of various series -
And, though it was released a little before these three, recent events make me want to share it with anyone:
Our society is coming unhinged because of race relations, or lack thereof. My cousin's book,
Up & Coming:
And speaking of some diverse styles...
Here's a sample of some of what's coming - The Plenty Book, Mentoring Warriors, & The Fringe Candidate are all finished & waiting in line for publication. Flight of the 500 & Call to Purpose (a life changing, fascinating book that has kept my wife & I talking & thinking in new ways) I'm hoping to be done with by the end of this week. Then I'll start working on Dark, King's Warrior and Maria Grace's Dragon take on Jane Austen's Persuasion - The Dragons of Kellynch. And then... 3 more books for Brad Swift - the Eco adventures of Zak Bates. More on that later.
So genre wise -
We've got upcoming 2 non-fiction, 2 Visionary Fiction, 2 Sci-fi (one kind of Sci-fi/fantasy) 2 Fantasy (one a classic turned fantasy) and then a middle grade adventure/visionary fiction series. Fun times.
What's keeping you busy this June?
I'd love to hear from you & if you have any thoughts on any of my books.
Happy Listening!
