Audiobook of "The Fourteenth of September" Now Available: Leave the Reading to Us

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Now that I have your attention, I will fess up that the novel has been available as an audiobook via Amazon since the book launch back in September of 2018. However, since I didn’t do any specific promotion on the format, it has just been sitting around, quietly, with modest purchases by experienced audiobook fans who knew how to find it. It’s time I gave it some love.

The Casting Cloud

The audiobook deserves its solo spotlight, given all the time and attention that went into producing it, but also because its development challenged me as an author in ways I’d never expected.

Right off the bat, the process of choosing a narrator sounded like great fun, but in practice it was unnerving. I can see why authors so often hate the films that are made of their novels. As a writer, you spend years picturing and “hearing” specific faces and voices in your head, and it’s very hard to envision, if you will, a stand-in. Very. 

Though I was asked many times to narrate the The Fourteenth of September myself, I felt it needed a voice for my nineteen-year-old main character, Judy, that sounded the right age. The casting process for identifying potential narrators was exceptionally efficient. Over sixty professionals sent audition tapes based upon an excerpt I had provided. Just pick one, easy-peasy, right?

Hardly. I did have the foresight to hire an experienced producer to help me with the project—primarily because I was totally focused on the all-consuming production and promotion of the paperback and e-book. We both thought it would be a piece of cake. Not so much.

Thankfully, my producer winnowed the audition tapes down to a dozen for me to review to make it an easy afternoon project. Instead, it was... just... too much. All those voices—all good, all young, all saying the same thing, all sounding so... SIMILAR, but not at all like Judy. I felt instead that I was listening in on a gaggle of her friends at the Tune Room, the site of so much of the story’s action. I finally had to do what I’d been hoping to avoid—listen carefully to each audition over and over, trying to pick the voice I thought I’d want to listen to for hours on tape, but actually found myself looking for reasons to eliminate, so the last person standing (or in this case, talking) would be the obvious choice. It was a bit like shifting through great candidate resumes back in the day but with higher stakes for me and my story. I finally got it down to three, and the producer and I compared our choices and picked a final voice. Whew! I was ready to turn the nuts and bolts over to my producer to get back to the world of words on paper. But no such luck.

Nailing the Voices

Before I could walk away, the producer sent me the recording of the first two chapters, where each of the large cast of characters appeared at least once, to ensure the narrator had the voices correct. I was appalled. None of the voices matched the characters in my head. And all of them—male and female—had two things in common. They were PERKY, and the inflection of every sentence went up at the end. To borrow the vernacular, we SO didn’t talk like that back in 1969. We were happy or sad, sarcastic or whiney, enamored of the curse-word vocabulary we were trying out like truck drivers now that we had left home, but we weren’t full of endless pep every minute. We were never, ever PERKY. And, not being interrogative-loving French, we preferred to swallow the end of our sentences and let the words descend into unintelligible mumblings that our elders would struggle to understand perhaps, but we would never go UP. After all, that implied asking permission, and in Judy’s era we were more likely to be trying to disappear, be sullen, or have POWER. Oh, the Valley Girl of it all. I considered removing the word like from anywhere in my manuscript. It wasn’t there much, but somehow, after listening to the narrator, it sounded as if it were. I can fix this, I thought.

Author as Actor... Not

After years making business presentations, I told the producer I would settle this quickly. I recorded my own voice reading my own first two chapters, filled with my own intended tone and inflection, so easy then for the narrator to imitate, right? I was sure I’d be great. I’d once harbored an inclination toward the stage. The narrator would probably be in awe, and I needed to be prepared to keep her dauber up by reassuring her that she could do it, perhaps not as well, but she’d be fine.

Again, a surprise. I virtually slapped myself in the face. First of all, it was exhausting. Forget the character voices: I could hardly manage to keep the energy of my voice up let alone on inflection pitch for twenty pages in one sitting. And I... there is no more politic word to use... sucked. As the narrator might put it, “I am SO not an actress, ya know?” I couldn’t listen to myself, and above all, I DIDN’T SOUND LIKE JUDY. It was so hard to wrap my head around that. A few decades on or not, I deep down inside guess I thought the words in my mind would come out the way I heard them, sounding like Judy, and Wizard, and Vida, and David, and all my other characters. It wasn’t age, it was... like listening to your voice on the telephone. It wasn’t me and it wasn’t Judy. Instead I sounded vaguely like a more nasal version of my sister and the guys sounded like cheery kids, not the voices I needed to communicate the sarcastic bravado in the face of fear that ruled the story’s Draft Lottery time frame.

I feared what the narrator would think when she listened to my version; suddenly I felt that I was the one auditioning. “You call this acting?” I could hear her complain. “Don’t give it to her,” I said to my producer in a middle-of-the-night, follow-up email. Too late. “It did confuse her,” the producer admitted. “I think her narration is fine,” she added after a long, diplomatic pause, asking how I wanted to proceed. Someone needed to listen to the narration chapter by chapter as it was recorded, to be sure it was accurate, words weren’t dropped, etc. “It was critical,” she said.

I humbly told the producer to take me out of the loop and just run with the project. Like Puff, this little dragon sadly slipped into her cave, realizing that there was a reason I had chosen the boardroom over the stage in my earlier career.

In the end, I came to see why movie directors ban authors from the set. We are pathetic, not capable of suspending our belief. We are in love with the vision we put in words, yes, but also the one in the netherworld between the words we write with our inside voice and how they are delivered out to the world. Mere mortal actors/narrators who cannot hear inside our minds will never rise to this impossible-to-articulate ideal. And in fact, once I was out of it, things proceeded just fine; as pointed out by my producer, the narrator may not be “me,” but she is Judy. And isn’t that the point? I was a bit taken aback—after all, there would be no Judy without me—but of course she was correct.

 
Listen to an excerpt from the audiobook.
 
A message from Marissa DuBois, audiobook narrator.

At this point audible Judy is doing pretty well. See listener reviews on Audible and Goodreads, and listen to the excerpt. And also hear the narrator, Marissa DuBois, talk about her excitement for the project in this interview. Then, check out the audiobook yourself, which is available on Amazon on the same page as the other formats for The Fourteenth of September. One tip, be sure to turn up the speed when you listen, Judy has a lot to say... she needs to talk fast.

Audio Is Cooler Than You Think

My first audiobook was my own novel and that helped me catch the bug for my long, fair-weather walks along Lake Michigan and car rides. The more you use it, the more you think about where to use it. My trainer listens to audiobooks while she cleans her apartment, an idea I can absolutely get my head around. I’ve begun to inventory life activities that don’t require paying attention.

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Above all, to my friends and family who tell me they support my story but just aren’t “readers,” or who only read nonfiction: Please try The Fourteenth of September on audiobook, and Judy’s voice will make it all go down in an exciting way. Let me know what you think... and about new creative ways to listen. I personally, for example, think my brother should read it during those endless hours of home repair and tinkering in the garage. I mean, he’s already on engineering-genius autopilot—he can listen to a story at the same time, right?

Time flies when someone’s telling you a story.  For me, the audiobook experience is like Mrs. Sellen, my first-grade teacher, reading us Dr. Seuss’s The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins. Its like a personal movie. They talk and you imagine. You know, just like a book. Hands free. Enjoy!


LATEST UPDATES & NEWS

 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 

Thank You: The Fourteenth of September Is Off to a Great Start

The Fourteenth of September debuted this fall and has become a well-reviewed, award-winning and reader success, poised for a second printing as I write this. The three+ month launch period was a whirlwind, with nearly twenty events, parties, salons and speaking engagements, from New York to California, DeKalb IL to Chicago. Click for details on awards, reviews, media coverage and more photos from events and salons.

This wouldn't have been possible without my very valued "village" of salonnieres, event sponsors, bookstores and the incredible interest and support of friends and associates from all aspects of my life — close and extended, past and present. I thank you all. Your support has been overwhelming.

It’s all still going strong into 2019 with an audiobook, speaking/reading events, salons and lots of interest from book clubs, which is very exciting. I've also begun a second novel, set in San Miguel de Allende, where I'm going in February for research, and will dive into seriously in March, when I’ll spend a month at Ragdale, my treasured writer's retreat. I admit to being a bit bleary-eyed at the pace of all of this, with an as-yet-to-be fulfilled resolution to achieve the ever-elusive work/life “balance.” LOL

I appreciate you all being part of my journey. I hope to keep it interesting. Meanwhile, I adore each one of these smiling faces. You’ll be seeing more in future posts.

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It’s PUBLICATION DAY for The Fourteenth of September: Let’s Make It Memorable

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I have to admit this is an exciting day. This story’s been on a long journey—from actual experiences decades ago, to in my head for what seems even longer, to the drawn-out writing process which took twelve years, and the always bumpy road to publication. This book has gestated long enough to be a monster, and sometimes it’s felt like that. It’s more than time this baby was born. And I can’t wait to share it with you. Please help me make it a success.


So Far So Great

It’s coming out on a high tide after lots of belly-to-belly marketing, as you may have noticed. (I hope you aren’t too sick of my face in that headshot or—egads!—the cover of the book.) I put a lot of irons in the fire early on, not really knowing what would click, and I’ve been gratified by the pre-publication reception to The Fourteenth of September. Pre-orders are strong (thanks to so many of you), reviews have been favorable, media coverage abundant, and the book has even done well in early awards competitions.

. . . a moving tribute to lives altered by chance.
— Foreword Clarion Reviews
Dragonette shows us what we can be, both in our best and our worst.
— Windy City Times Reviews
 

Read or Listen

There’s even more going on now that the book is out in the world. In addition to paperback and ebook formats, the audiobook is now available on Amazon, narrated by actress Marissa DuBois, who had a blast juggling the various character voices in the book’s large cast. Check out what she has to say in her video, and take a listen to a three-minute excerpt via SoundCloud. And, if it really puts you in the spirit, check out the soundtrack, full of the circa 1969-70 tunes that punctuate the action of the story.

 
This is a book that book clubs can sink their teeth into: It will provoke intense discussion across generations, between mothers and daughters, neighbors on both sides of the political spectrum, men as well as women.
— Jacquelyn Mitchard

Read Together

Above all, The Fourteenth of September is a discussion book, with a multitude of topics to fuel any interest. And, its appeal is cross audience. Certainly, those of you who were around during the 1969-70 time of the novel will approach it from the vantage point of experience, but as historical fiction, its story of a young woman coming of age and conscience during wartime is appealing to all audiences. Check out the new Official Book Club Guide, including discussion questions by best-selling novelist Jacquelyn Mitchard. Please consider it as a selection for your book club and feel free to refer it to others.

Share What You Think

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I thank all of you for your support throughout the process of bringing this book to fruition, and I hope you’ll help me take it over the finish line by sharing and spreading the word. In particular, I’m hoping you’ll be sufficiently intrigued to read the story of Judy Blue Eyes in The Fourteenth of September and, once you do, post a review on Amazon and Goodreads. There’s simply nothing that helps more to give a book momentum.

Help Me Make a Difference

The tag line of The Fourteenth of September is “A Coming of Conscience.” That defines Judy’s journey in the book—when integrity trumps consequences. But it also resonates as a call to action even today.

In that spirit, I am initiating a social-giving campaign as part of the launch of The Fourteenth of September to encourage young people to engage in meaningful activism and bold personal responsibility as they continue their education.

The initial iteration of this program will fund a Coming of Conscience Scholarship for a student at Northern Illinois University, the real-life inspiration for the fictional university in The Fourteenth of September. The scholarship will be awarded to a student who best demonstrates their understanding of what a Coming of Conscience means, and their plan for how they will use whatever degree they choose to help change the world in whatever way their beliefs guide them.

To help fund this up-to $10,000 scholarship, I ask you to either share a post on the program, a photo of your copy of The Fourteenth of September, or a thirty-second video of your personal Coming of Conscience (or one you’d like to see) across your social media channels, using the hashtag #ComingofConscience. Or, all three for triple the exposure and funding. See all program details here.

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Coming of Conscience—a character-defining personal decision or action where integrity trumps consequences.
 
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Celebrate with Me

I’d love to hear from you—about what you thought of the book, what memories or thoughts it conjures up, what your Coming of Conscience experiences have been, or how you think we can amplify that program. Or, just to say hi and stay in touch. If anyone will be in or visiting Chicago on October 24, please join me at my Book Launch Party at Women and Children First bookstore, at 7 p.m. We can take a photo of ourselves with the book to post on the spot and also make a lasting memory.

I can’t thank you enough for your support and hope we can continue. I have three more books keyed up, and I’m looking forward to to telling you about them.

Lovely Rita

 

 
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