Listen to Most Popular Audiobooks in Bios & Memoirs, Personal Memoirs

Please open https://hotaudiobook.com ONLY on your standard browser Safari, Chrome, Microsoft or Firefox to download full audiobooks of your choice for free.

Title: Among the Giants

Subtitle: How One Underdog Pursued His Dreams & You Can Too!

Author: Jesse LeBeau

Narrator: Donny Baarns

Format: Unabridged

Length: 7 hrs and 8 mins

Language: English

Release date: 12-30-14

Publisher: Familius

Ratings: 5 of 5 out of 2 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Personal Memoirs

Publisher's Summary:

The sound of the basketball slapping the floor echoed hollowly in the gym, as I began working it playfully with my hands. Planning my next move, I locked eyes with my opponent. I noticed small beads of sweat beginning to form in the furrow between his eyebrows. My heart was pounding, and my nerves tightened in response... but slowly a smile formed on my lips. Here I was, 5'8" Jesse LeBeau, going one on one with basketball superstar Kevin Durant... and I was making him sweat! As I started to make my move on him, I briefly wondered, "How did a skinny kid from a small town in Alaska ever get the chance to do this?" Here I was, involved in the filming of the 2012 Warner Brother's basketball movie Thunderstruck, playing against the NBA scoring champion! It shouldn't have happened. I didn't fit the profile and anyone would have told you that. But I did make it, despite the odds. And here is my story...

Growing up as an undersized white basketball player on a remote island in Alaska, Jesse had nearly every chip stacked against him. Yet despite his size and circumstances, he managed to rise above it all and make it to the big screen in Hollywood. With only the love of the game of basketball and the tenacity to follow a dream driving him, Jesse's persistence has led him to star in national commercials and movies with some of the most recognizable celebrities and professional athletes in the world. More importantly, he found a way to tweak the system and alter his dream and get paid to do what he loves to... every day! Be inspired by his story and learn the keys to successfully creating a life that is uniquely yours.

Members Reviews:

In today's world there are few good role models for our children

In today's world there are few good role models for our children, but Jesse Labeau is definitely one I would recommend. As a father I am always on the lookout for good inspiring books, with the right message for my sons to read. In an effort to be a responsible parent I will take the time to read all books myself before offering them to my boys. "Among the Giants" is a very solid and inspiring story about a kid who refused to give up even with the odds of success seemingly stacked against him. It's about old fashioned sticktoitiveness and the ability to overcome challenges even with overwhelming obstacles in the way. I actually found it not only a great book for my boys but also personally inspirational for myself as well. A good reminder to never yield and constantly move forward in life no matter the challenges, which I believe is a good message we all need on occasion. I highly recommend this book to all parents looking for beneficial books for their children to read.

Extremely Motivational

I am so impressed with this book â and so surprised!

Peppered with his own personal story of adversity and success, this motivational read lit a fire in me to take what I am truly passionate about to the next level. As a prior athlete myself, many of us didn't win the genetic lottery that would allow us to play a sport at a professional level. Itâs certainly refreshing to read what Jesse has done to create his own avenue.

Please open https://hotaudiobook.com ONLY on your standard browser Safari, Chrome, Microsoft or Firefox to download full audiobooks of your choice for free.

Title: Jewelry: Sell Your Jewelry Craft Design & Creativity Using Zero Cost Marketing & Entrepreneur & Business Skills + Crafting Is Like You

Author: Mary Kay Hunziger

Narrator: Kim Houston

Format: Unabridged

Length: 2 hrs and 58 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-31-14

Publisher: Inge Baum

Ratings: 1 of 5 out of 3 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Personal Memoirs

Publisher's Summary:

If you are passionate about jewelry making, you might already have the first part and second part of this compilation of profitable jewelry stories.

This is the third part of From Passion To Profit: Compilation Of Even More Profitable Jewelry Stories - Volume 10.

In this 10th compilation, Mary Kay Hunziger shares this exciting story of her jewelry friend, Janette, who literally started from scratch and runs a very profitable six-figure jewelry business today.

Janette's jewelry story started with a measly $11 sale on eBay in 2007 and today she leads a dynamic team and runs a thriving online business that authors and authorities like Jim Cockrum and Tim Ferriss are typically calling a "virtual empire".

Janette's jewelry stories are going to reveal even more powerful zero cost marketing strategies plus you will discover even more multiple streams of income!

You will also learn how you can use creative thinking to come up with more profitable income streams and opportunities that are related to the jewelry making niche and that you can add to your bottom line ASAP!

You will discover Janette's most profitable jewelry making techniques like "Photo Jewelry and Scrap Booking Jewelry Techniques", "Button Jewelry Techniques", "Even More Jewelry Profits", and lots more exciting stories that reveal Janette's secret sauce.

In summary, these additional from passion to profit jewelry making stories will introduce you to the most profitable jewelry techniques, tell you about the most lucrative opportunities that you can add to your bottom line, and finally will show you the secret ingredients that you must build into your jewelry making business in order to be profitable.

Members Reviews:

Worst audio book I've ever listened to!

What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?

I thought this was going to be more of a story about how someone went from one sale to a six figure business - it turned out to be more about how to make jewelry using different techniques - which is fine, but honestly a simple Google search would have resulted in better info on the techniques provided.

Would you ever listen to anything by Mary Kay Hunziger again?

no

Any additional comments?

Maybe this title just wasn't for me, I expected actual stories about how she went from one sale to a six figure business. Many times she would say - I learned my marketing from Dan Hollings - Zero Cost marketing and Tony's philosophy about Multiple Streams of Income - BUT then never provided a conrete example of even one of their techniques - just said to search for them on their sites. I did go to Dan's site, and all I saw was his info for sale on his site. I watched some videos of his on the web, hoping to get $4 worth of info from him to redeeem the book - but I just couldn't see how what he was doing was used to help this jewelry business. About 20 chapters are just the narrator reading out web addresses - REALLY??? Who can listen to that for hours on end?

I don't know, it just wasn't the book for me.

Please open https://hotaudiobook.com ONLY on your standard browser Safari, Chrome, Microsoft or Firefox to download full audiobooks of your choice for free.

Title: Then Came Life

Subtitle: Living with Courage, Spirit, and Gratitude After Breast Cancer

Author: Geralyn Lucas

Narrator: Geralyn Lucas

Format: Unabridged

Length: 7 hrs and 48 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-02-14

Publisher: Recorded Books

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 1 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Personal Memoirs

Publisher's Summary:

The author of Why I Wore Lipstick to My Mastectomy dares all women who have had a stumble in life to harness their fighting spirit and stand back up with courage and optimism. One mastectomy, two C-sections, three pants sizes, and lots of red lipstick later, Geralyn Lucas is dealing with the same issues as other women her age. Her miracle babies have grown into a typical tween with a fierce eye-roll for her moms failings and a tornado of a little boy who wont play by his preschools rules. Her storybook romance with her husband has spiraled into couples therapy and her perfect-if-demanding corporate job as a TV producer has abandoned her for L.A. When she looks in the mirror at her hard-won wrinkles, all she wants is Botox. Celebrating her sweet-16 cancerversary shes thankful for her second chance and ready to be daring - but can she survive lifes new ups and downs with the same courage shes always had? With an infectiously hilarious voice and a true sense of empowerment, Geralyn harnesses her fighting spirit to live life loudly and lustily, and to grab on to all the moments that might never have happened. Knowing she can only pedal forward, she mines every day for boldness, joy, and gratitude, and eventually falls in love with life again. Then Came Life is not just for cancer survivors; its for life survivors - a call to rediscover the resilience and optimism it takes to reinvent yourself at any age.

Members Reviews:

Not just a book for women!

If the authorâs name sounds familiar, it is because this is a sequel to her tremendously popular âWhy I Wore Lipstick To My Mastectomyâ published 10 years ago. At the time of her mastectomy she was 27 years old, enthusiastic, open and determined to enjoy every nanosecond of life. Now 18 years later, she is in her mid-40s, graying, sagging, moving up in pants size, with a teen daughter who is, well, you know, and an 8-year-old competitive-chess-playing son. The bloom is off the rose with her relationship with her amazing husband as they barely have time to speak to each other much less have a meaningful conversation; they are in couplesâ therapy. âAll the things I wanted so desperately, clung to life so I could keep, just feel like a drag at this moment. I sigh into the mirror.â

Then Came Life contains 17 chapters, each an essay on an element of her life. It is a very easy read in the sense that her words flow smoothly and she lathers almost every situation with humor and wit. Also, it is educational and deeply poignant in sections. Educational in that she does point out the common misdiagnosis of young women, especially those with dense breast tissue whose nodules or tumors might not be picked up by mammogram. They absolutely must have additional diagnostic workup, MRI and/or ultrasound. Most do not get it and are not diagnosed until the late stages of the breast cancer or after it has spread, elevating their risk of not surviving. She also acknowledges the fact that most women know very little about breast health, cancer diagnosis, treatment options, and that too many women are reluctant to actually get the mammogram performed. She names some organizations that are working to educate and assist women.

One major issue she writes about is the role family history plays in breast cancer.

Please open https://hotaudiobook.com ONLY on your standard browser Safari, Chrome, Microsoft or Firefox to download full audiobooks of your choice for free.

Title: Gone Feral

Subtitle: Tracking My Dad through the Wild

Author: Novella Carpenter

Narrator: Soneela Nankani

Format: Unabridged

Length: 6 hrs and 19 mins

Language: English

Release date: 06-12-14

Publisher: Recorded Books

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 7 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Personal Memoirs

Publisher's Summary:

Gone Feral is Novella Carpenter's search for her father. Back-to-the-land homesteader, gifted classical guitarist, Korean War vet, hermit, curmudgeon, George Carpenter has been absent for most of his daughter's life. But when he officially goes missing - only to be found in a fleabag Arizona motel, escaping the brutal Idaho winter - his daughter is forced to confront the truth: Her time with her dad, now seventy-three years old, is limited, and the moment to restore their relationship is now. Thus begins a journey of discovery that carries Carpenter from her Oakland urban farm to her father's ramshackle cabin on a quest for connection that reveals who she is and where she came from.

In Gone Feral, Carpenter, now a grown woman contemplating a family of her own, returns to Orofino to answer why her father chose a life of solitude. She quickly finds that George is not living the principled, romantic life she imagined, and the truth is more complicated than anything she might have imagined. As she comes to know the real George, Carpenter looks to her own life and comes to recognize her father's legacy in their shared love of animals, of nature, and of the written word; their dangerous stubbornness and isolating independence. In reckoning with her past, Carpenter clears the road to her future. Gone Feral sees the birth of Carpenter's own daughter, an experience that teaches that a parent's love is itself a wild thing: Unknowable, fierce, and ever changing.

Raw, funny, unsentimental, alive with unforgettable characters and pitch-perfect dialogue, Gone Feral marks Carpenter's transformative passage from daughter to mother.

Members Reviews:

It was an interesting story though it left me feeling very sad for the author's father

I read this book for my book club. It was an interesting story though it left me feeling very sad for the author's father. I also found the author's choice of descriptive words a bit gross at times. Such as, "he hocked a big loogie". Really? Why do we need to know that?

Title draws but false advertising

Was really anticipating the story of an actual disappearance, not unresolved teenage angst toward a mentally ill father. Interesting but misleading, thus disappointing.

Very touching

I couldn't put this book down as I wanted to find out what happened. Well-written and reflective of the author's journey to find her dad and really, herself. Loved this book and recommend it.

just awesome

I love Novella's writing style and would suggest this book to any and everyone. Made my mom read it, hopefully she gains a little insight.

Great read! All families are different

Great read! All families are different, no one has the power to change how you were raised. Makes you realize just how apparent you are

Molded from your childhood.

Please open https://hotaudiobook.com ONLY on your standard browser Safari, Chrome, Microsoft or Firefox to download full audiobooks of your choice for free.

Title: Letting Go into Perfect Love

Subtitle: Discovering the Extraordinary After Abuse

Author: Gwendolyn M. Plano

Narrator: Gwendolyn M. Plano

Format: Unabridged

Length: 6 hrs and 3 mins

Language: English

Release date: 05-16-14

Publisher: She Writes Press

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Personal Memoirs

Publisher's Summary:

As a college administrator, Gwen Plano lived her professional life in a highly visible and accountable space - but as wife and mother, after hours and behind closed doors, she experienced the terror of domestic violence. It was her secret; it was her shame. But when her husband turned his brutality on her son, she could no longer stay quiet.

In Letting Go into Perfect Love, Plano recounts her experiences in a 25-year abusive marriage, and as a survivor who came out of that relationship determined to start over, artfully depicting the challenges and triumphs of balancing the obligations of motherhood and career with her family's healing process. Alternately heart-wrenching and joyful, this is a story of triumph over adversity - one woman's inspiring account of learning how to forgive the unforgiveable, recover her sense of self, open her heart, and honor the journey home.

Members Reviews:

A beautifully written and riveting spiritual memoir that conveys hope and redemption in the face of abuse.

With lyrical prose and raw honesty, Gwendolyn opens up her heart and takes our hand to lead us through her spiritual journey from abused wife to a strong woman who finds peace and joy in her life. In an introduction that reads like a love letter to her readers, she describes how sharing her painful past with two abusive husbands helped her find a pathway to healing. She invites us to find ourselves in her story, even if our circumstances are different. âHope may elude us as love withers, but with time, the door of hope opens and we acquiesce to possibility. It is about the ebb and flow of that journey that I write.â

Through heartbreaking details, we see not only the struggles but also the resilience of a woman who is trying to remain strong for her children. I will not judge her for staying for 25 years in a second marriage for the sake of her children for I have made the same mistake twice, too. Rather, I see her strength and fierce love as a mother and I trust she will find her way in time. I trust she is acting in good faith and doing the best she can. She is authentic and believable. When she shares her experience about angel interventions, I am with her. It is through this authenticity, her positive attitude and perseverance that I connect with her and her hard earned journey to freedom.

This riveting spiritual memoir conveys hope and redemption to anyone who has ever suffered in an abusive relationship. Her writing is fluid and eloquent and her story has universal appeal. I highly recommend this beautiful book and commend the author for sharing so openly.

Powerful, Provocative and potentially life-altering!

Each of us come to the place where we will read this work from such diverse directions. We will each interpret and attempt to define it in our many alternate ways. I bring to this reading a history of abuse; accordingly my belief system was shakily formed and has remained under question for much of my life.

When I read the blurb, and several of the very eloquent reviews I almost stopped â I wanted to run like hell. My guts were telling me Iâd feel every nuance of pain â my guts were uncannily right.

Author Gwen Plano has not simply invited me to read this book, from the opening pages, this author compelled me to read it.

Please open https://hotaudiobook.com ONLY on your standard browser Safari, Chrome, Microsoft or Firefox to download full audiobooks of your choice for free.

Title: 11 Days in May

Subtitle: The Conversation That Will Change Your Life

Author: J.D. Messinger

Narrator: J.D. Messinger

Format: Unabridged

Length: 5 hrs and 41 mins

Language: English

Release date: 05-09-14

Publisher: Wave Link Productions

Ratings: 3 of 5 out of 1 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Personal Memoirs

Publisher's Summary:

Shattering 44 illusions. 11 Days in May is the story of one man's quest to answer the great questions: who am I, why am I here and where did I come from? After breaking his neck, leaving his body, and returning, JD Messinger experienced prophetic visions and insights. Over the course of 11 days, he takes us on a journey with a mysterious friend. The two bicker like brothers but converse like sages as they investigate the answers to 36 of life's most important questions. Some of the questions include: who makes things, what is a thought, what is near death, what is a soul, what is a day, is time relevant, what is love, sex, war, truth, purpose, change, science, religion and more. The objective of the 36 parables is to help shatter the illusions, an idea or perception that people accept as true based on a mistaken or false belief. The illusions keep us from discovering our way, our truth and our light. In total, there are 44 illusions discussed in the book.

Members Reviews:

11 Days in May is a life changer!

I found Jd Messinger's 11 Days in May through a series of synchronicites that really caught my attention. I had never heard of JD before, but caught him on a Coast to Coast AM radio interview and before the interview was over I had downloaded the book to my Kindle Fire. All I can say is this: The writing is not complex but there is an energy transmission to it that allowed me to take these very important life questions and answers to a much deeper level of understanding that I had done before. There is a beautiful way that this conversation between JD and his "soul" unfolds that helped me have a better understanding of who I am and why I am here. Every time I read it I gain new insight.

Essential Reading!

Many books offer valuable life lessons and wholesome spiritual advice. Numerous volumes provide practical guidance for self-improvement and social evolution. Yet remarkably few of them can be genuinely described as revelatory. In this truly transformative book, the reader joins a lively, provocative conversation between the author, JD Messinger, and a source of higher knowing on topics ranging from the nature of thoughts, suffering, faulty world views, synchronicity, science, religion, time and illusions. This book, however, is much more than a philosophical exchange on the minutiae of lofty topics. Along the way, the reader cannot escape entering the dialogue, challenging their personal limiting beliefs, and confronting their own deeply buried insecurities. As they do so, they will experience their own epiphany. As the wise guide unpicks the authorâs profoundly flawed beliefs, the reader comes to the startling realization that however deeply they may have reflected on life and its many quandaries, it is probably not deeply enough. As if sitting in the psychiatristâs chair, with the guide posing as the understanding though demanding therapist, the reader is prodded to address all manner of questions. That is the power of this slim volume and precisely why this book is revelatory. The reader partakes in their own process of discovery as they follow the conversation. Nowhere does author or guide tell the reader what to think or do. 11 Days in May is not a handbook for achieving instant inner peace.

Please open https://hotaudiobook.com ONLY on your standard browser Safari, Chrome, Microsoft or Firefox to download full audiobooks of your choice for free.

Title: The Formula

Subtitle: How I Found It and What It Can Do for You

Author: Bernard Bushell

Narrator: Aze Fellner

Format: Unabridged

Length: 3 hrs and 36 mins

Language: English

Release date: 05-08-14

Publisher: Bernard Bushell

Ratings: 5 of 5 out of 1 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Personal Memoirs

Publisher's Summary:

"Part life story and part life advice, The Formula offers an immensely lucid and listenable account of how the sexes relate to each other, and how the partners in a relationship can understand and empathize with each other to harmonious effect. Bernard Bushell combines anecdote, personal revelation, social commentary and psychological insight in a compact, entertaining and yet pragmatic synthesis: he helps us all." - Gareth D. Williams, PhD, Professor, Columbia University

"An excellent self-help book, its wisdom shared in the context of a well-written, eminently readable life story!" - Mathilda B. Canter, PhD, Clinical Psychologist, past president, Division of Psychotherapy, American Psychological Association

Members Reviews:

A Great Read - informative and transformational with regard to relationships at any stage of the game.

A great book to give as a gift to any dating, mating or married couple. It can only improve a relationship!!

Please open https://hotaudiobook.com ONLY on your standard browser Safari, Chrome, Microsoft or Firefox to download full audiobooks of your choice for free.

Title: Growing Eden

Subtitle: Twenty-Something and Pregnant in New York City

Author: Kate Fridkis

Narrator: Jessica Almasy

Format: Unabridged

Length: 3 hrs and 16 mins

Language: English

Release date: 05-01-14

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 3 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Personal Memoirs

Publisher's Summary:

Kate Fridkis, a neurotic twenty-something writer in Brooklyn makes the seemingly crazy decision to become a mother. This is a memoir about pregnancy, and about making the huge choices that sometimes result in growing up, or at least growing.

Members Reviews:

An excellent book if you think you might want kids...

I inhaled this book - while I agree with a previous reviewer who said it was a little disjointed and could use more editing, it is also a refreshing and unique (and much-needed) voice. (I had no issues with chronology.)

There are many books on becoming a mother, but I haven't come across any from "my" generation/demographic (I'm 31 - close enough!). So many people I otherwise identify with aren't really having kids, either yet or at all. Her writing reminds me a bit of Anne Lamott - honest (very honest!), funny, touching without being sentimental or sappy. She articulated a LOT of thoughts and feelings I've had around the topic and made it all so tangible - and so okay to identify with her and go ahead into the unknown. I loved it. I can't wait to read more of her longer-form work in the future!

I have a hard time believing a publishing company would spend as much time and care editing a $4 e-book as they would a $15 print book... but they should totally do this! PRINT it. I want to highlight parts and give it to my husband to read! I want it on my shelf in between Operating Instructions, High Tide in Tuscon, and Delancy.

A Strong First Title

The strength in Kate Fridkis' first work lies in her vulnerability and honesty. She mentioned on her blog that "some of the writing feels like my journal," and in fact this is a pretty close description of how the short e-book reads. Since, as a reader, I was immediately drawn in by the personal, confidante tone of the book I had no confusion about the chronology of her story - In my opinion it flowed quite naturally. I do agree that at times it felt under-edited, but I wonder if this was done on purpose to maintain that element of "rawness" that made this pregnancy/birth/personal narrative far more interesting than a clinical, watered down description. The only other aspect that left me puzzled as a reader was the sometimes elegant prose and turns of phrase that I would stumble upon in parts of the book. While these would fit perfectly and function beautifully in a novel, they seemed incongruous here and sometimes broke the flow of my reading since I was accustomed to the author's personal narrative voice (which was not of any lesser quality, but something different than the kind of prose one might read in a novel).

Overall a story that shines for its honesty and that is captivating from the first page (one can easily read it in one sitting). I look forward to longer works from Kate.

(Full disclosure, since I always wonder about the source of positive reviews: I am a long time reader of Kate's blog, Eat the Damn Cake, but have no other relation to her.)

I personally know Kate, so I hope this doesn't ...

I personally know Kate, so I hope this doesn't sound unbiased! I actually met her after being a fan of her online blog for a long time and being impressed with her writing. She is hilarious but also insightful. As someone who doesn't have children yet, this was such an interesting insight into pregnancy and motherhood.

Please open https://hotaudiobook.com ONLY on your standard browser Safari, Chrome, Microsoft or Firefox to download full audiobooks of your choice for free.

Title: Mommy Memoirs

Subtitle: A Hilarious and Heartwarming Look at the Trials and Triumphs of Being a Mom

Author: Ann Van De Water

Narrator: Misty of Echoing Praise

Format: Unabridged

Length: 5 hrs and 28 mins

Language: English

Release date: 05-01-14

Publisher: Morgan James Publishing

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 2 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Personal Memoirs

Publisher's Summary:

If you are a mom, want to be a mom, know a mom, or have a mom, this inspirational audiobook is for you! With humor and candidness, Ann Van De Water shares her personal experiences of motherhood by giving glimpses of her journey in the form of short read-and-run anecdotes that will have you laughing out loud one minute and tearing up the next!

Ann takes you step-by-step through her own adventures, from realizing her ob-gyn went to her church and finding out she was pregnant with her first to her hysterectomy, launching her youngest off to college, and facing the dreaded empty nest with bucket list in hand - and everything in between - she leaves few stones unturned.

Her transparency gives you permission to admit to your own imperfections and laugh with her as you recognize yourself in the tales she tells. Learn from her mistakes and rejoice with her as she sees Gods hand of blessing in her life as a wife and mother!

You will appreciate the short stories that can be devoured quickly and the humor she brings to each situation in turn. You will come away with the reminder to take yourself less seriously and enjoy a good laugh every day. However, have a box of tissues on hand as well.

Many of us have been there and done that. Enjoy Anns memories of her mommy moments! Come be reminded of what an honor and privilege it is to partner with God in the best career out there - being a mom!

Members Reviews:

Funny & frank, for those who aren't June Cleaver!

Would you listen to Mommy Memoirs again? Why?

I LOVE Mommy Memoirs! There's so much pressure on women to be all and do all. This book shows that others are experiencing the same juggling act... and surviving, even thriving! The chapters were short and sweet. Perfect for my busy schedule. Full of humor, this book made dishwashing and vacuuming go faster!

What was one of the most memorable moments of Mommy Memoirs?

"Nurse Nasty" had me in hysterical tears! I love that this book isn't just about pregnancy or toddlers. It spans all of the ages and stages.

What does Misty of Echoing Praise bring to the story that you wouldnt experience if you just read the book?

Her "performance" feels more like I'm listening to my best friend! I love her casual approach, and subtle laughter. You can hear her smiles! Perfect narrator for this audiobook!

Any additional comments?

Great gift for a new mom, baby shower, or Mother's Day!

Please open https://hotaudiobook.com ONLY on your standard browser Safari, Chrome, Microsoft or Firefox to download full audiobooks of your choice for free.

Title: A Renaissance Redneck in a Mega-Church Pulpit

Author: Randy Elrod

Narrator: Randy Elrod

Format: Unabridged

Length: 7 hrs and 8 mins

Language: English

Release date: 04-24-14

Publisher: cre:ate 2.0 Publishing

Ratings: 5 of 5 out of 1 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Personal Memoirs

Publisher's Summary:

From bellbottoms and Bible camp to a career center stage, this beautifully written, heartfelt memoir, written in the style of Mark Twain, is both a coming of age and American success story.

The first person in his family ever to graduate high school, Elrod made the unprecedented decision to leave his redneck region behind-the coalmines and poverty of Appalachia-and seek, instead, something more from life.

Early musical success enabled him to explore the world in renaissance meccas such as Paris, Rome, Florence, and Barcelona. He also served as the Music and Arts Pastor at two of the most influential American mega-churches. Still, with each new accomplishment, he felt even more unfulfilled.

After three decades of performing for tens of thousands, a growing disillusionment with the church, and life-altering circumstances, he stepped off stage. Returning home to pick up the pieces of a shattered life, he discovered what had been missing all along.

Hilarious and irreverent, the characters and tales are as unforgettable as they are entertaining. So pull up an easy chair, grab a glass of wine, a shot of moonshine - or if you're Baptist - some sweet tea, and get ready to laugh out loud and perhaps shed an empathic tear.

Members Reviews:

Very Real

I so much appreciate the candor with which Randy displays in his memoir. Not many "Christian" people are as self-aware and willing to reveal his real thoughts, inclinations, and beliefs. His embarrassment and/or being shamed at voicing his thoughts are quite revealing, followed by his described "long silence..." As in, "boy, have I said it this time!!"

I've seen his pastors in action before, and literally hate that view of the pastorate. His pastors, with the notable exception of L C Campbell (whom I also know from Okla Baptist University) is not even my definition of Christian, yet, here they "run" (literally) the largest churches in the Southern Baptist Convention. I too, try to out grow/recover from those influences.

Good luck on your travels, Randy. You sure touched a kindred soul here. Thanks so much for your encouraging words.

Open and honest review of church work

Randy has captured in his book and recount of his personal life what so many of us in ministry service are too scared to slow down and realize. We not only lose sight of ourselves but who His is and why we chose to follow Him to begin with. My heart ache for the Artist trying to work within left brained staff but more for the left brained pastor /staff who can't fulfill life on earth acknowledging a creative God. I highly recommend this book to every church staff and volunteers.

I can Relate.....Church Musician of 30 years ++

I loved Randy's frankness, his humor, his down home flavor from the hills in West Virginia.

From voice jury's, the fear of acceptance versus rejection, I have been there - and done that.

In one book Randy captured it all......

I highly recommend you read it via Kindle or a real copy. Worth passing around.....

All the best, Art Scott

An honest journey of self-discovery

I met Randy during his ârenaissance yearsâ and although I had picked up bits and pieces from our conversations, I never understood his full story.