I’m writing this before Tuesday’s election, but I can only imagine that whoever wins, whomever you voted for, and however you feel about the results, you need a break from real life. Do I have a break for you?

Are you an audiobook fan? Are you lazy, like I am, and love to be read to, or enjoy listening to books on walks, while you’re gardening, doing crafts or making dinner?

According to one source, audiobooks are the fastest growing segment in publishing today, and the industry is currently evaluated at 2.8 billion. Authors are no longer waiting to be chosen by a publisher for an audio contract. They are selecting their own narrators and recording their own books, some with stunning success.

Since I’ve yet to take that step, I was delighted when Blackstone Audio recorded my latest. For those of you who have been waiting for the audiobook of When We Were Sisters, the wait is over.

Okay, I wrote the book, but I still can’t wait for my copies to arrive, because this audiobook is different. While years ago I had an abridged novel with multiple narrators, this is only the second to be recorded that way, and at first I was dismayed.

The talented Karen White, who narrated all my Goddesses book, broke the news to me. When she learned I had a new book, she emailed to say she hoped she would be chosen for this one, too. But when she learned the novel was in first person, from three points of view, she explained that under those circumstances, each part would be read by a different narrator.

While the same narrator often portrays different characters in a novel, in When We Were Sisters, each chapter is told from the point of view of one character only, and readers are in that character’s head and listening only to that voice. Once I got over the surprise, I realized Karen was absolutely correct.

But three different narrators? How would all those choices be made?

Narrators can make or break a book, can’t they?

Have you ever turned off an audiobook because you couldn’t stand the reader? There’s one popular narrator my husband and I find so annoying, we carefully steer away from any book with his name attached.

We aren’t alone. Friends have a long drive to their house in New York each summer and like us, they fill the hours with audiobooks. This past year we listened to The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax by Dorothy Gilman going to New York, and I’ve Got Your Number by Sophie Kinsella coming home. They were great choices. We’ve learned the hard way that we need fast-paced novels with suspense and humor to move us along those miles.

Our friends, however had made a terrible choice. Their narrator was so annoying they had to stop listening. Not coincidentally? It was the same narrator my husband and I boycott.

So what’s interesting about this? One bad narrator. So what? Well, bad is in the ear of the listener. This narrator actually has an enormous fan base.

Can we repeat together: Different “spokes” for different folks?

Because narration is so important, from the start I felt personally invested in the choices for my three narrators. Here’s the lineup:

• Karen White, who narrated all my Goddesses books, reads the part of Robin.
• Elijah Alexander was a good choice for the part of Kris.
• But Cecilia? I wasn’t enthused, Blackstone’s original choice had a fabulous voice. I’d love to have her narrate a different book, but for this one, she just didn’t sound the way I imagined Cecilia. She wasn’t snappy; she wasn’t jaded.

After feedback from my Krewe of Review, I went back to Blackstone to express my doubts. They graciously gave me the opportunity to select another narrator, and I was given several additional options. Immediately I fell in love with Rachel Fulginiti.

Not sure you like audio? I think you need a chance to win this audiobook. Thanks to Audible’s generosity, I’m giving two free audiobooks to one lucky winner. Only those readers who follow all the rules are eligible:

• You must have or be willing to sign up for an Audible.com account to enter–see below for two different free trials.
• To receive the books your account must be at audible.com, not audible.de, fr, uk or any other site operated by Audible.
• Using the form at the bottom of my website giveaway page, tell me which one (or more) of my books should be in audio. There’s no right answer, but you must provide the title of one of my books, or your entry won’t count. And you must use the form.
• Only one entry per person.
• You have until midnight November 16th to enter.

The winner will receive a code to redeem his or her selected audiobooks online. Of course I hope When We Were Sisters  or any of my other audiobooks will be your choice.

If you buy the audiobook or borrow it from your library, let me know what you think of the casting.

Now? Enjoy!

***Audible’s offer: Right now Amazon is offering a free Audible trial for new readers. You receive two free audiobooks, and you can choose among 180,000 titles. After thirty days Audible will begin to bill you $14.95 each month for one book–there are other price plans, too. However you can cancel at anytime and keep your free books. Be sure to read the reviews and decide for yourself. For the record my own years with Audible have been trouble free. 

***Audible has a similar offer directly on their website, but their offer is for one free book, not two.

These offers are for your convenience only. I receive no commission and have no information about how long they’ll last.