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A little audio thank you message to everyone involved with AUDIOBOOK FOR JAPAN 2011

All Aliens Like Burgers – Audiobook Release

IT’S HERE! “All Aliens Like Burgers” is the first in the much anticipated TRUXXE TRILOGY by Ruth Wheeler. Published by HIRST BOOKS (click here to buy the book), this exclusive unabridged audiobook edition is read by star of Dr Who, We Are Klang, Tittybangbang and Calendar Girls, Debbie Chazen. Featuring new music from award-winning radio, film & TV composer Jon Nicholls, and produced by multiple-award winning radio & audio director Neil Gardner.

CLICK HERE to visit the Spokenworld Audio site and buy the download

CLICK PLAY to hear a sample

An exciting, funny adventure in space, for late teenage – adult readers.

Young, polite and intelligent Tom Bowler has barely ever ventured out of the small English town where he grew up. So when he applies for a job in a fast food restaurant at a “local” service station during his gap year he is rather surprised to discover that the vacancy is in fact based on Truxxe, a planetoid stationed between local galaxies Triangulum and Andromeda. Hes surprised further still to find himself becoming friends with a purple alien and that he has strange feelings for his android supervisor, Miss Lola. Tom soon discovers that Truxxe has many hidden secrets – just what makes it so special? And why is its terrain so rich and varied that it can be used for fuelling such a diverse variety of intergalactic spacecraft? What are the Glorbian space pirate brothers Schlomm and Hannond plotting? And just what is it that they put in those burgers?

 

 

Reviews of the book (courtesy of Hirst Books)

5 stars - gemma walton – 21 June 2010
really enjoyed the book – it was very descriptive, whilst still being a compelling read. ruth has an amazing imagination and makes the unbelievable sound perfectly plausible and believable. i loved the humour especially with the crystal growing and retrieval – and also the spottooning (which im hoping it wont become a new sport on earth!!)the door is opened really nicely for a sequel with more of toms adventures…. burger ingredients …. alien relations….a home visit with the new found tablets or new found friends…… looking forward to the sequel!!

- david – 21 June 2010
all aliens like burgers is the dabut novel from author ruth wheeler and its a cracker. the basic plot concerns tom bowler who applies for a job at a “local” service stations fast food restaurant – which turns out not to be what or even where it seems. i wont go into any more details and ruin your enjoyment. ruth wheeler has created and enjoyable story with interesting and well fleshed out characters. the narrative moves at a good pace and makes an ideal read for anyone, like me, who enjoys a good science fiction novel with a twist.i was lucky enough to meet the author at a local book signing and found her to be charming and very down to earth. ruth also told me she is working on a sequal to this book. i for one, will be waiting with eager anticipation for more adventures of tom bowler.

Five Star Read - Ed – 07 September 2010
A most enjoyable debut novel from ruth wheeler in which she chronicles the mis-adventures of young tom bowler who is a fish out of water in his new job at a galactic burger bar ! Fast moving,funny and imaginative,this is highly recommended to all fans of douglas adams and comedic sci-fi.

All Alians like burgers - A robinson – 17 January 2011
Really enjoyed this book I bought it for my youngest son but landed up reading it myself and could’nt put it down – very funny well worth the read

burgers in space! - mike cook – 17 June 2010
this is a light-hearted story of a teenager taking up a job in a less than usual location. the story takes us on a journey of discovery for a young man leaving home, with some excellent imagery. includes one of my favourite one-line observations of recent years. one to sink your teeth into for a little light entertainment.

- victoria kahl – 21 June 2010
a real fish-out of water story, its interesting to think how i would cope with a situation like this. most of the time the main character accepts what he sees and gets on with things, i think this is because he is still a teenager and things roll off him!amongst the pure sci-fi there are plenty of comedy moments and even a sprinkling of romance. i look forward to the rest of the series and to finding out where toms adventures will take him.

 

Audiobook for Japan 2011

The recent devastation in Japan caused by the earthquake and tsunami has shocked the world. We at Spokenworld Audio, alongside our friends and partners at Ladbroke Productions (Radio) Ltd are unashamed Japon-ophiles…we just love the place, the people and the culture. We have some great friends in Japan, and we felt it was important that we do what we could to help out.

JAPANESE FAIRY WORLD, STORIES FROM THE WONDER-LORE OF JAPAN has been produced by Neil Gardner at Ladbroke Productions in just a few days, with the incredible kind help and talents of many of the UK and US’s finest Voice Over artists. With beautiful music donated by Jon Nicholls and Seb & Kayvan at SNK Music (and additional music from AKM Music). Within you will find 25 short-stories from the rich heritage of Japanese folk-tales. From demons and gods, to the creation of the Earth and the naming of mountains.

 

Over 3.5 hours of fabulous audiobook readings!

 

100% of the money raised from the sale of this unique audiobook will be donated by Spokenworld Audio and Ladbroke Productions to the RED CROSS JAPAN TSUNAMI/EARTHQUAKE APPEAL. We will even donate the VAT as well!

We encourage you to purchase the complete audiobook, but if you would prefer to, you can also buy each story individually (a slightly more expensive option!). The complete set comes as a zipped folder containing the 25 stories plus an introduction and end credits…all as high quality stereo 192kbps mp3 files…ready for importing into iTunes or on to an mp3 player of your choice!

Before we get to the list of stories, let us tell you the incredibly generous readers who gave their time, talent (and studios!) to make this project a reality. If you are a producer/director, please take it from us, these people are fantastic and well worth hiring:

 

RAMON TIKARAM (yes, Ferdie from This Life…ace!)

NATALIE COOPER (who also helped organise the voices…what an angel)

PETER DICKSON (the voice of X-Factor and so much more, buy his app at www.myruddyvoice.com)

PATRICK LUNT (legendary voice over!)

MARIAN KEMMER

CHRISTOPHER KENT

CLAIRE LACEY

MARTY PERRETT (check out his superb podcast ‘The Boxroom’ – subscribe in iTunes)

HELEN QUIGLEY

MARK TAYLOR

KATY MAW

TAFF (he promises us he has a surname, but it is on a ‘need to know’ basis apparently!)

RACHEL ASHLEY

GEORGE WASHINGTON III

FRAN McCLELLEN

JUSTIN BARRETT

JULIE BERRY

PHILIP BANKS

NEIL GARDNER

 

The cover art was created by Tanja Glittenberg.

 

How To Buy Audiobook for Japan 2011

 

OK…so let’s get to the audiobook stories…click HERE to visit the Spokenworld Audio site and purchase either the entire collection or individual stories.

Please Note: VAT is added automatically for those purchasing from the UK or EU countries. Spokenworld Audio and Ladbroke Productions will match the sum total of VAT as an additional donation to the appeal.

Many thanks for your support and please spread the news. We’d love to sell hundreds, if not thousands of copies and raise as much money as we can for the appeal.

 

Audiobook Round-up

I’m a lucky blighter…as an audiobook fan I just love hearing what’s new and hearing a wide variety of genres…but what makes me lucky is that I am an audiobook producer, so I get access to many more audiobooks than is probably fair  So I thought, hey Neil, why not start sharing the news about audiobooks that you’ve heard, produced or know a bit about.  So that’s what I’m gonna start doing.  Come back regularly to be updated on audiobook goodness…and even get the occasional chance to win one or more of the audiobooks mentioned!

I, Claudius

Broadcast

Author : Robert Graves

Reader : Full Cast

Running Time : 6hrs 0mins

A BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramatisation of Robert Graves’ brilliant account of the madness and debauchery of ancient Rome, starring Tom Goodman Hill as Claudius and Derek Jacobi as Augustus.

The wickedly entertaining inside story of the lives and deaths of the Imperial dynasty from Augustus to Caligula is told by their obscure relation, Claudius.

In public, Claudius is a stammering, drooling weakling, whose reputation as an idiot keeps him safe from office and assassination. But in private, he’s as sharp as they come, and keeps a secret history of everything he discovers. Until one day, as one of the few of his family left alive, he’s acclaimed Emperor against his will. Can he save Rome from the corruption he’s grown to detest?

Featuring Derek Jacobi (who won a BAFTA for his performance as Claudius in the acclaimed 1977 BBC television production) as Augustus, and with an all-star cast, this gripping dramatisation will enthral anyone who loves the decadence of Ancient Rome.

Available now as DOWNLOAD and CD from 

 

Aurelio Zen: Blood Rain

Unabridged Reading

Author : Michael Dibdin

Reader : Michael Kitchen

Running Time : 8hrs 30mins

Michael Kitchen reads this complete, full-length ‘Aurelio Zen’ novel by bestselling author Michael Dibdin.

After his last case, among the gentle hills and lush vineyards of Piedmont, Inspector Zen finally receives the order he has been dreading all his professional life: his next posting is to Sicily, home of the Mafia.

The gruesome discovery of an unidentified, decomposed corpse sealed in a railway wagon on a disused siding marks the beginning of Zen’s most difficult and dangerous case.

Set against the backdrop of the 3000-year-old city of Catania, in the shadow of the smouldering volcano of Etna, ‘Blood Rain’ finds Aurelio Zen at his most desperate and driven.

‘The best detective novelist around’ – Sunday Times

A complete and unabridged reading by Michael Kitchen.

Available now as DOWNLOAD and CD from 

 

South Riding

Broadcast

Author : Winifred Holtby

Reader : Full Cast

Running Time : 3hrs 45mins

A BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramatisation of Winifred Holtby’s classic novel of 1930s Yorkshire.

It is the summer of 1932, and Sarah Burton embarks on a new beginning as the headmistress of Kiplington High School for girls. There she encounters unenthusiastic pupils, distant staff and a run-down building, but she is determined to inspire.

When she organises her first community event, she begins to feel more at home. However, her next bright idea – taking the girls out on a snowy clifftop walk – gets her into trouble with local landowner and school governor Robert Carne.

As Sarah learns more about Carne’s troubled home life and his concern for his daughter Midge, she finds herself increasingly drawn to him. But she soon has more on her mind than romance, as she struggles to prevent bright but poor schoolgirl Lydia Holley from losing her scholarship…

Starring Sarah Lancashire, Philip Glenister and Carole Boyd, this gripping adaptation memorably evokes the lives, loves and sorrows of the inhabitants of South Riding.

Available now as DOWNLOAD and CD from 

 

Agatha Christie: And Then There Were None

Dramatisation

Author : Agatha Christie

Reader : Full Cast

Running Time : 1hrs 30mins

A BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramatisation of a classic Agatha Christie mystery, starring Lyndsey Marshal, Geoffrey Whitehead and John Rowe.

Ten guests travel to an island at the invitation of someone named U.N. Owen. All are strangers, but they have two things in common: they have all been responsible for someone’s death, and none will leave the island alive.

Over the next two days and nights, each of the guests is killed off in a different manner in keeping with the nursery rhyme, ‘Ten Little Soldier Boys’. As they are picked off one by one, who could possibly be responsible?

The killers are forced to turn detective so they can find the unknown murderer, but one by one they become victims…

Billed as ‘the famous detective story without a detective’, ‘And Then There Were None’ is one of Agatha Christie’s darkest and most enduring tales.

Available now as DOWNLOAD and CD from