Reading Options

I'm happy to announce that STORM MOUNTAIN will be coming out as an audiobook. This is not a first for me; several of my novels and picture books are available in that format. Still, I'm particularly excited, as it provides a different way to experience the story, especially if you are a reluctant reader.

For years I've listened to books on CD while on long drives, but just recently I learned how to download audiobooks onto my iPhone so I can listen to them on long runs, or while mowing the lawn, or folding laundry. For me the format is a great way to fit more “reading” into my life. It also hones the ears to language flow and story told in the oral tradition. 

Which far precedes the written word -- think of our distant ancestors sitting around the fire centuries before Gutenberg -- so in some sense hearing a book read aloud is taking things full circle. It’s ironic that modern technology makes it possible. 

The next step will be when they finally get the kinks ironed completely out of voice-recognition software and writers will have the choice of telling their story and seeing it “magically” transformed into the written word on their computer screens. The concept of a writer’s “voice” will take on a whole new meaning. It will be fascinating to read the results. 

Does this mean I'm moving away from the printed page? Absolutely not. There will always be a place in my heart, and my hands, for traditional books. There is something about the physical act of turning the page -- the feel, the smell, the sound, the sight of the text -- that just feels . . . comforting. Whatever your choice, happy reading, friends!