Synopsis: In 1066, the rivalry between two brothers brought England to its knees. When Duke William of Normandy landed at Pevensey on September 28, 1066, no one was there to resist him. King Harold Godwineson was in the north, fighting his brother Tostig and a fierce Viking invasion. How could this have happened? Why would Tostig turn traitor to wreak revenge on his brother?
The Sons of Godwine were not always enemies. It took a massive Northumbrian uprising to tear them apart, making Tostig an exile and Harold his sworn enemy. And when 1066 came to an end, all the Godwinesons were dead except one: Wulfnoth, hostage in Normandy who took on the task to preserve the history of his famous siblings.
The sons of Godwine was quite a tale, but Fatal Rivalry is remarkable! I had no idea how a sibling rivalry on the grandest scale could have long lasting implications and change the course of history! I felt really sorry for both, Tostig Godwinson and King Harold Godwinson. Not to mention, their dear wives and families. What a tragedy! The narrator Kevin E. Green is exceptional. I felt like part of the story right along the characters. All the accents, male or female, were spectacular.
About the Author: Mercedes Rochelle
Mercedes Rochelle is an ardent lover of medieval history, and has channeled this interest into fiction writing. She believes that good Historical Fiction, or Faction as it’s coming to be known, is an excellent way to introduce the subject to curious readers. Her first four books cover eleventh-century Britain and events surrounding the Norman Conquest of England. The next series is called The Plantagenet Legacy about the struggles and abdication of Richard II, leading to the troubled reigns of the Lancastrian Kings. She also writes a blog: HistoricalBritainBlog.com to explore the history behind the story. Born in St. Louis, MO, she received by BA in Literature at the Univ. of Missouri St.Louis in 1979 then moved to New York in 1982 while in her mid-20s to “see the world”. The search hasn’t ended! Today she lives in Sergeantsville, NJ with her husband in a log home they had built themselves.
I have been narrating audiobooks for nearly 10 years, and have recorded over 80 full length books. I first started ‘narrating’ books when reading to my two young sons at bedtime, and I read the complete Lord of the Rings to each of them -including character voices! I have many years acting experience, and I have my own recording studio where I record and master my own recordings. I love narrating books for a living and enjoy all genres, fiction and non-fiction alike.
Synopsis: Emerging from the long shadow cast by his formidable father, Harold Godwineson showed himself to be a worthy successor to the Earldom of Wessex. In the following 12 years, he became the king’s most trusted advisor, practically taking the reins of government into his own hands. And on Edward the Confessor’s death, Harold Godwineson mounted the throne – the first king of England not of royal blood. Yet Harold was only a man, and his rise in fortune was not blameless. Like any person aspiring to power, he made choices he wasn’t particularly proud of. Unfortunately, those closest to him, sometimes, paid the price of his fame.
This is a story of Godwine’s family as told from the viewpoint of Harold and his younger brothers. Queen Editha, known for her Vita Ædwardi Regis, originally commissioned a work to memorialize the deeds of her family, but after the Conquest historians tell us she abandoned this project. In The Sons of Godwine and Fatal Rivalry, I am telling the story as it might have survived, had she collected and passed on the memoirs of her tragic brothers.
Harold’s siblings were all overshadowed by their famous brother; and in their memoirs, we see remarks tinged sometimes with admiration, sometimes with skepticism, and in Tostig’s case, with jealousy. We see a Harold who is ambitious, self-assured, sometimes egocentric, imperfect, yet heroic. His own story is all about Harold, but his brothers see things a little differently. Throughout, their observations are purely subjective, and witnessing events through their eyes gives us an insider’s perspective.
Harold was his mother’s favorite, confident enough to rise above petty sibling rivalry, but Tostig, next in line, was not so lucky. Harold would have been surprised by Tostig’s vindictiveness, if he had ever given his brother a second thought. And that was the problem. Tostig’s love/hate relationship with Harold would eventually destroy everything they worked for, leaving the country open to foreign conquest.
Ay, the Sons of Godwine! We get a good inside scoop into the family through various viewpoints of Godwine. Harold, Tostig, Sweyn, Leofwine, and Wulfnoth. Each point of view adds a depth to a dynamic story. The narrator Kevin E. Green again does a fantastic job of voicing each, character, male and female. Very fascinating!
About the Author: Mercedes Rochelle
Mercedes Rochelle is an ardent lover of medieval history, and has channeled this interest into fiction writing. She believes that good Historical Fiction, or Faction as it’s coming to be known, is an excellent way to introduce the subject to curious readers. Her first four books cover eleventh-century Britain and events surrounding the Norman Conquest of England. The next series is called The Plantagenet Legacy about the struggles and abdication of Richard II, leading to the troubled reigns of the Lancastrian Kings. She also writes a blog: HistoricalBritainBlog.com to explore the history behind the story. Born in St. Louis, MO, she received by BA in Literature at the Univ. of Missouri St.Louis in 1979 then moved to New York in 1982 while in her mid-20s to “see the world”. The search hasn’t ended! Today she lives in Sergeantsville, NJ with her husband in a log home they had built themselves.
I have been narrating audiobooks for nearly 10 years, and have recorded over 80 full length books. I first started ‘narrating’ books when reading to my two young sons at bedtime, and I read the complete Lord of the Rings to each of them -including character voices! I have many years acting experience, and I have my own recording studio where I record and master my own recordings. I love narrating books for a living and enjoy all genres, fiction and non-fiction alike.
Synopsis: Harold Godwineson, the Last Anglo-Saxon King, owed everything to his father. Who was this Godwine, first Earl of Wessex and known as the Kingmaker? Was he an unscrupulous schemer, using King and Witan to gain power? Or was he the greatest of all Saxon Earls, protector of the English against the hated Normans? The answer depends on who you ask.
He was befriended by the Danes, raised up by Canute the Great, given an earldom and a wife from the highest Danish ranks. He sired nine children, among them four earls, a queen, and a future king. Along with his power came a struggle to keep his enemies at bay, and Godwine’s best efforts were brought down by the misdeeds of his eldest son Swegn.
Although he became father-in-law to a reluctant Edward the Confessor, his fortunes dwindled as the Normans gained prominence at court. Driven into exile, Godwine regathered his forces and came back even stronger, only to discover that his second son Harold was destined to surpass him in renown and glory.
The Last Great Saxon Earls is phenomenal! I felt fully transported back to the middle ages through great narration and storytelling. The story of how Godwine came to power favored by Canute the King and his marriage to Gytha was exceptional. My favorite part was Godwine and Gytha’s early struggles and breakthrough in their marriage. Narrator Kevin E. Green captures it perfectly!
About the Author: Mercedes Rochelle
Mercedes Rochelle is an ardent lover of medieval history, and has channeled this interest into fiction writing. She believes that good Historical Fiction, or Faction as it’s coming to be known, is an excellent way to introduce the subject to curious readers. Her first four books cover eleventh-century Britain and events surrounding the Norman Conquest of England. The next series is called The Plantagenet Legacy about the struggles and abdication of Richard II, leading to the troubled reigns of the Lancastrian Kings. She also writes a blog: HistoricalBritainBlog.com to explore the history behind the story. Born in St. Louis, MO, she received by BA in Literature at the Univ. of Missouri St.Louis in 1979 then moved to New York in 1982 while in her mid-20s to “see the world”. The search hasn’t ended! Today she lives in Sergeantsville, NJ with her husband in a log home they had built themselves.
I have been narrating audiobooks for nearly 10 years, and have recorded over 80 full length books. I first started ‘narrating’ books when reading to my two young sons at bedtime, and I read the complete Lord of the Rings to each of them -including character voices! I have many years acting experience, and I have my own recording studio where I record and master my own recordings. I love narrating books for a living and enjoy all genres, fiction and non-fiction alike.
Synopsis: She played a detective on TV, but now that her life depends on it, can Maizie Albright play a detective for real?
For fans of romantic comedy mysteries like Meg Cabot’s Size 12 Is Not Fat and Stephanie Bond’s Body Movers, The Wall Street Journal best-selling author Larissa Reinhart brings her listeners the first in the Maizie Albright Star Detective series, Hot Mystery Reviews’ “Top 10 Mysteries for Book Clubs”.
”Child star and hilarious hot mess Maizie Albright trades Hollywood for the backwoods of Georgia and pure delight ensues. Maizie’s my new favorite escape from reality.” (Gretchen Archer, USA Today best-selling author of the Davis Way Crime Caper series)
Three Teen Choice Awards, one Emmy nomination, and several Maxim covers later, Maizie Albright was an ex-teen star, stuck in reality show hell, and standing before a California judge. She has one chance for a new life: return home to Black Pine, Georgia, and get a job that has nothing to do with show business. So why not become a private detective – the person she played during the happiest days of her life?
Maybe because…
First: She’s got 10 days to get and keep the job.
Second: She has to convince the only private investigator in town to hire her.
Third: She lost the client’s wife on the first day. (And the woman may be dead…)
Fourth: She just might be falling in love with her new boss. And she just might have lost him his business.
But what has she got to lose, other than imprisonment, her dignity, and possibly, her life?
Start the Wall Street Journal best-selling series and download 15 Minutes today!
“Sassy, sexy, and fun, 15 Minutes is hours of enjoyment.” (Phoebe Fox, author of the Breakup Doctor series)
The first book in the Maizie Albright Star Detective Mystery series is quite a riot! Never a dull moment; 15 Minutes is brimming with excitement and nervous energy. Maizie Albright and the rest of the characters are full of personality, humor, and their own unique set of quirks. I thought narrator Joan Dukore was a great fit and did a great job nailing the story. Her voice matched the youthful, frenetic pace of the book, including capturing several eccentric personalities! An absolute riot.
AUTHOR INTERVIEW
Tell us about the process of turning your book into an audiobook.
I was really nervous about making the Maizie Albright series into audiobooks for some reason. My previous audiobooks were done by my publisher and I had no input, so I was worried about the amount of time needed (juggling writing, work, and kids is always a challenge) and worried about the end product since I’m a writer who “hears” their characters more than “sees” them, if that makes sense. But after Joan Dukore auditioned, my fears disappeared.
Joan’s amazing, easy to work with, and very professional. I loved her audition. After that, I gave her the book and some character notes. I listened to the first 15 minutes of 15 MINUTES (ha), gave her a few more suggestions, and she did all the work. I had to listen to the entire book while reading it but found little to correct. It’s been an amazing experience and went a lot more quickly than I thought.
Was a possible audiobook recording something you were conscious of while writing?
I never thought about the audiobook while writing 15 MINUTES because I was more focused on getting to know my new characters and trekking through the story. However, for the subsequent books in the Maizie Albright series, I thought about audio, mainly because the books are so heavy in dialogue.
How did you select your narrator?
Joan Dukore auditioned and I loved her as Maizie immediately! She has such a fresh, bubbly voice and great comedic timing. The comedic timing was more important to me than just about anything else and she nailed it. I’m thrilled she’s narrating the entire series.
How closely did you work with your narrator before and during the recording process? Did you give them any pronunciation tips or special insight into the characters?
We worked closely through the first fifteen-minute read and the character samples, then I let Joan do her thing. She’d occasionally ask me questions during the recording. I listened to the entire book, of course, when she was finished for a final edit.
In the beginning, I was pretty uptight about accents, since many of my characters are southern. A bad southern accent or over-the-top southern accent is like nails on a chalkboard to me. I live in Georgia and we don’t sound like we’re on Hee-Haw. I made a character list and gave suggestions of actors in certain movies. I think the initial listen is hard for the author because we’ve been hearing the voices (in our head) since the conception of the book. But Joan’s a professional actress and I knew I had to trust her. And I’m so glad I did!
About the Author: Larissa Reinhart
The Wall Street Journal bestselling author Larissa Reinhart writes the award-winning Cherry Tucker Mystery, Maizie Albright Star Detective, and Finley Goodhart Crime Caper series. She loves to tell funny stories about women, looking for love (and sometimes dead bodies) in all the wrong places.
Larissa, her family, and Cairn Terrier, Biscuit, lived in Nagoya, Japan, but have returned to Peachtree City, Georgia. You can see them on HGTV’s House Hunters International “Living for the Weekend in Nagoya” episode. Larissa loves books, food, and traveling with her family. You can often see her adventures on Instagram (and her little dog, too).
Visit Larissa’s website to join her VIP Readers email group and get the free prequel to The Cupid Caper plus other exclusive bonus content! http://www.larissareinhart.com
Born in Honolulu, HI, Joan DuKore began her performing career as a ballet dancer, and attended Virginia School of the Arts to continue her education. Her hobby of magic later became her profession, and she continues to perform in Las Vegas and around the world. Her love of reading eventually led to voice acting. She has produced over 30 audiobooks in numerous genres such as thrillers, romances, memoirs, mysteries and fantasies. She loves locking herself in her booth and living in the worlds that authors create.
Billions are dead. The World is still smoldering. A terrifying new threat has emerged from the ashes.
About Audiobook #2
Author: Chris Muhlenfeld
Narrator: Price Waldman
Length: 8 hours 44 minutes
Publisher: Chris Muhlenfeld⎮2018
Genre: Science Fiction
Series: The Obsolescence Trilogy, Book 2
Release date: March 5, 2019
Synopsis: Billions are dead. The world is still smoldering. A terrifying new threat has emerged from the ashes.
Returning safely from their expedition, James and Alexa deliver the weird news to the survivors at Winona Station. Everyone still alive is now faced with an impossible decision: betray their very humanity to survive, or watch the human race regress into a new stone age.
The stakes could not be higher.
Will they choose wisely?
Make time now because once you start listening to UPGRADE, you’ll be instantly hooked. Get it now!
UPGRADE is the second thrilling audiobook in The Obsolescence Trilogy. This audiobook is plausible, near-future sci-fi that’s full of rich, insightful characters, and compelling ideas.
A solid follow up from book one, Upgrade has several fascinating story developments. A mysterious Artificial Intelligence with unknown motives, intriguing technology, good characters, and a good dose of humor made this a entertaining book. The ending was a bit confusing, but I’m assuming that will be explained in next book, RESET.
About the Author: Chris Muhlenfeld
Chris has been reading and writing science fiction since he was a teenager. After roaming all over the world, he finally settled down in the beautiful mountains of western Montana where he publishes Distinctly Montana magazine with his wife. When he’s not hiking, biking or camping in the Montana wilderness, he and his wife are traveling the world.
Price Waldman is an actor and singer, born and raised in NYC. Classically trained, and working professionally in the theater for over 20 years he is new to the world of audiobooks. As an actor he has performed multiple times on Broadway, toured nationally and internationally and appeared on film and television.
The Real AudioSpy 