Desideratum

This is a real life story set in a vast land, the San Luis Valley of Colorado. It’s a huge flat prairie flanked by mountains, and it's far off the beaten path. Author Ted Conover takes us there in this Desideratum.

A desideratum is an essential thing and this story got me thinking about lots of essential things - like wide open spaces, what to do with a rattlesnake, the peace you find in silence, and the need for connection.

Ted Conover is perhaps best known for spending a year as a prison guard at the maximum security prison Sing Sing in New York. The book he wrote about that experience was called Newjack and it earned a National Book Critics Circle Award for Nonfiction and made Ted a Pulitzer Prize Finalist. His work expands and deepens what we think of as Journalism.  He submerges himself in often uncomfortable situations and then takes readers along with him.

Today we’re talking about his latest immersive experience and book called Cheap Land Colorado. In his observation of small details side by side with his big picture perspectives, he paints a very complete picture with his own voice as narrator in your ear.

I hope you enjoy getting to know Ted Conover as much as I have. I want to thank The Colorado Sun for shining their light on Ted’s work. I listen to the Sun's podcast called The Daily Sun-Up, and every Sunday I check out their SunLit feature for author spotlights. Sunlit editor Kevin Simpson often talks to authors on The Daily Sun-ups Friday podcast. Check it out at coloradosun.com or wherever you're listening to this podcast. 

Ted will be in Denver for the Colorado Sun’s SunFest ideas conference. Here's a link for tickets: https://coloradosun.com/sunfest/

And here's a link to the La Puente organization Ted volunteers with so you find out more about the good work they do. https://lapuentehome.org/

One more big thank you to the audio publisher Random House Audio for the excerpt from Cheap Land Colorado.  And, as always, thank you for listening. 

This is a story about a young woman running away and finding her home. It begins with the moment she decides to run, when she faces a painful truth about her boyfriend. 

We’re talking about A LIGHT IN THE FOREST - a Colorado Book Award Finalist - on this Desideratum.

A Desideratum is an essential thing. I’m audiobook narrator Theresa Bakken and I think this story is full of essential things.  This week we’re talking about being a work in progress with author Melissa Payne whose new novel A Light in the Forest got us talking about small towns, and pigs, and intuition.

I want to thank the Colorado Sun for shining their light on Melissa, I listen to the Sun's podcast called The Daily Sun-Up.. It's a great way to start your day if you’re curious about Colorado culture, history,  news of all kinds delivered to your ears. Then every Sunday I check out the SunLit feature at coloradosun.com for author spotlights and local independent bookstore recommendations. SunLit editor Kevin Simpson often talks to authors on The Daily Sun-up's Friday podcasts. Check it out at coloradosun.com or wherever your'e listening to this podcast. 

Also - a big thank you to the author Melissa Payne, the talented and authentic voice of narrator Kay Eluvian, the audiobook publisher Brilliance audio, and the audiobook production team at Deyan audio Devon Hammond and Yanni Caldas for their work on A Light in the Forest. And, as always thank you for listening. 

https://coloradohumanities.org/programs/colorado-book-awards/

https://www.melissapayneauthor.com/

author Melissa Payne's website link

https://www.kayeluvian.com/audiobooks/

narrator Kay Eluvian's website link

https://coloradosun.com/category/sunlit/sunlit-interviews/

a Link to the Colorado Sun website's SunLit page

Have you heard the story about the author who was in a grocery store, set up with a little table and a folding chair, selling his books one book at a time... when something life changing happened.

We’re talking about the crazy experience author Shawn Warner is having with his debut novel Leigh Howard and the Ghosts of Simmons Pierce Manor - how a small act of kindness from a stranger set off a ripple effect of good will for Shawn. You’re going to hear about his YA book featuring a girl and some ghosts who solve a murder mystery. You’ll hear some of his favorite scenes from the audiobook (read by me for Black Rose Writing and Podium Audio). And, Shawn talks openly and honestly about ADD, his military service, and his greatest adventure (his family!) on this Desideratum.

https://www.shawnwarner.com/

https://www.blackrosewriting.com/

https://podiumaudio.com/

This is a story about a woman who slips through time..  

It's the day before Casey's 40th birthday, and her acting career and personal life are a disaster. Frantic to escape her own emptiness, she hops a plane to England and heads to the countryside to hide.

That’s when a lightning strike, a skidding car and a horse that might be magical send her through a gap in time to the Dark Ages.

We’re talking to author and narrator Petrea Burchard about her historical fantasy Camelot & Vine.

 A big thank you to this episode’s sponsor Pozotron. I use Pozotron in my audiobook prep and proofing process to save time and ensure accuracy..  Their AI powered software suite cuts hours from the audiobook, voiceover and any scripted audio production process. You can sign up for a free demo of all they offer at pozotron.com.

Before her audiobook narration work won her an Earphones Award, Petrea had a diverse acting career in film, television and theater. She is best known for voicing the powerful and hilarious space pirate Ryoko Hakubi in the english language version of the 90's Japanese anime series “Tenchi Muyo!”. You can find all her current projects in the audiobook world and other fun facts at Petreaburchard.com

I hope you enjoyed spending some time with Petrea Burchard as much as I did. I hope you’ll listen to the rest of her audiobook Camelot & Vine. If you follow the affiliate link to Libro.fm when you purchase the audiobook you are also supporting this podcast. 

This is a story about a struggling writer who gets invited to a writing retreat. She's thrilled because it's a once in a lifetime opportunity with a famous horror novelist. The retreat takes place at a remote estate, where even the house has a dark and storied past. We’re talking about the NY Times bestseller The Writing Retreat, with author, therapist and creative coach Julia Bartz.

Thanks to Simon and Schuster Audio for providing the foreboding moments from the audiobook narrated by the wonderful and award winning Gail Shalan. https://www.gailshalan.com/

To hear the rest of the story, you can purchase the audiobook and support this podcast by following this link to Libro.fm where you can also select a local book store to benefit from your purchase.

Thanks to episode sponsor Pozotron. Here's a ⁠link⁠ to get a free demo of all the great ways they help audio storytellers.

And finally, here's a link to connect to Julia's latest news. https://www.juliabartz.com/

If you enjoyed this episode, please interact in some way with the podcast - like, share, follow, subscribe, leave a review - wherever you listen.

Thanks!

This is a story about a detective, a cold case forensics expert named Elise. But this isn’t just a cold case, crime solving detective story. This story begins with our detective caught in the middle of an active crime scene. She fires her weapon for the first time. She takes a man’s life to save another man. Then, the saved man disappears from the scene, and Elise is drawn to him looking for answers. What she finds when this man enters her life is a very dangerous game.  

This is a scary story. A classic horror story - with a haunted house, a monster, and unflinching violence. But, there’s something else here too…  we’re talking about Everything the Darkness Eats by Eric LaRocca with narrator Andrè Santana.