Dateline Alpennia: Wouldn't it be cool to have Daughter of Mystery available in audio?

[hrj]

I've been running the "Teaser Tuesday" feature so long, it's hard to know what to do with Tuesdays on this blog! Because it's easier (read: lazier) for me to come up with blog topics if I have some sort of thematic structure, I've decided to continue dedicating Tuesdays to posts relating to my fiction.

I considered briefly posting teasers from some of the short fiction I have in train, but when I took a look at them, I couldn't find short bits that seemed to work well in isolation like that. And with The Mystic Marriage just barely out, it seems a bit too early to start teasing you with what's happening in Mother of Souls. But people have asked to hear about specific topics and as long as I avoid outright spoilers, it will be fun to explore some world-building issues, like I did last week for food and dining. And I'm trying to get more comfortable with making a direct appeal to readers to support the series in various ways. So...

Wouldn't it be wonderful if the Alpennia books were available in audio? Even if you aren't a dedicated audio-book listener yourself, can't you imagine the story read in some lusciously-accented voice on a long road trip? (I confess that in my fantasies it's read by my favorite librivox.org reader, Karen Savage, whose versions of Jane Austen read me to sleep every night.) Bella Books has something of a loose arrangement with Audible.com (I don't know the details -- just bits and pieces I've heard through the grapevine) and a few Bella books get picked every year to be produced by them.

Now, in the grand scheme of the Bella Books catalog and the tastes of the majority of its readership (which revolve very firmly around contemporary romance of all stripes), Daughter of Mystery is pretty small potatoes. So the chances are pretty slim that it would be one of the few chosen for audio production without some actual expression of interest on the part of audible.com customers. But did you know that you can express that interest? I don't know how many requests it would take to get audible's interest, but knowing how these things work, I bet it wouldn't be that many. Think about it.

Also: I'm going to be plugging this pretty regularly for the next month. I'll be doing a reading and signing from The Mystic Marriage at Laurel Bookstore in downtown Oakland the evening of Friday June 5. Laurel Bookstore is one of those rare glittery unicorns, the independent bookstore that's expanding rather than contracting. And they're crazy-convenient to get to by BART. If you're in the area, please support them and me by coming to the reading and buying books!

Comments

[hawkwing-lb.livejournal.com]

Every time the subject of audiobooks comes up, I think wistfully that it would be lovely to have a career as a book-reader. Aloud! I love reading aloud!

...Sorry, mostly off topic, but I just filled out a job application for the position of "glorified salesweasel," and wistfulness is much on my mind.

An expanding independent bookshop? WHAT MADNESS IS THIS? (And can I get some locally?)

[hrj.livejournal.com]

I saw a new item recently that claimed that brick-and-mortar bookstores were on the way back. Laurel Bookstore is taking a bit of a gamble (and benefiting both from downtown revitalization money and a kickstarter type funding campaign for moving expenses. I suspect it will be a while before it's clear what the long term will be, but they have a great foot-traffic location and seem to have a full calendar of readings and whatnot. I'm only terrified that nobody will show up for my reading. It's easy to pull people out of the woodwork for a first book. Less easy to pull new people in for a second.

[hawkwing-lb.livejournal.com]

Well, I will wish you good luck.

[irinarempt.pip.verisignlabs.com (from livejournal.com)]

I don't listen to audiobooks myself --I can't keep track of audio-only, need to see the text as well or instead-- but I'll happily signal-boost.

[kareina.livejournal.com]

I am with you, I don't like audio books. However, that didn't stop me from emailing Bella books and saying:

"I have recently purchased and enjoyed reading Daughter of Mystery, by Heather Rose Jones. I had thought to buy a copy as a gift for a friend, but that friend has a strong preference for audio books, and when I looked on your web page I didn't see an audio book available for that title. Are there plans to release an audio version of Daughter of Mystery soon?"
(and, since I asked for it, if they do I will...)