Keeping Words and Ancient Cultures Alive, by Deborah J. Ledford

Hello, folks.

I've been enamored with audio books for several years now, since downloading files and listening to them has been as easy and accessible as eBooks. I was delighted that I could download a book from the Audible.com website, and then access it through my laptop, Kindle, or iPhone. In the car, I just push the play button on my Audible.com app, and it comes out through my car speakers using Bluetooth technology. I listen using my phone when I walk in the morning, and when I do dishes or weed the garden. I'm getting so many more books in my head this way, and I love it! 

Since I became so enamored, I decided to find out how to get my own books made into audio books, and discovered the website, ACX.com, a place where authors and narrators can find each other to produce audio books. 

I'm thrilled to share that Deborah Ledford is heading in the same direction with her books, starting with her newest thriller, CRESCENDO, which I recently read and loved. 

Please help me welcome Deborah here today to speak about a very important issue. 

- Aaron Lazar

www.lazarbooks.com

Keeping Words and Ancient Cultures Alive, by Deborah J. Ledford

copyright 2013

As reported by The Wall Street Journal in an article titled “The New Explosion in Audio Books,” narrated books are now a 1.2 billion dollar industry. Given the popularity of this method of enjoying books I decided it was time to jump on this opportunity.

I’ve been doing a lot of research and listening to countless hours of audio books recently. My favorite narrator so far is Will Patton, who provides the voices for James Lee Burke’s Dave Robicheaux novels.

To me, the voice is every bit as important as the words being read, so I chose TV and film actress Christina Cox (Dexter, NCIS, 24, Castle, Chronicles of Riddick) to read my latest thriller, CRESCENDO (reviewed by the fabulous Aaron Paul Lazar). Ms. Cox’s exquisite alto and acting prowess is, without a doubt, the ideal choice to convey the story and characters I’ve lived with for so many years.

Fortunately, crowd funding is becoming more popular for garnering contributions to fund literary and film projects. In order to make my audiobook dream a reality, IOF Productions Ltd. has established the NatAmGoGo crowd funding campaign at Indigogo (similar to Kickstarter).

I’m part Eastern Band Cherokee, and am so proud of my heritage that I created Inola Walela to be the leading lady of my thriller series. My previous book, SNARE, takes place on the Taos Pueblo Indian Reservation, and when my contact, Floyd “Mountain Walking Cane” Gomez, told me about the desperate need to advance native language and culture for the Taos Pueblos as well as other tribes, it became my mission to help make this a reality.

And so the NatAmGoGo project will also benefit Floyd’s nonprofit foundation Blue Feather Corporation. We actually can help keep ancient societies alive. There’s no better way to learn a language than through the art of storytelling.

The story of CRESCENDO will be recorded in November for a late December release. Can’t wait to get started!

Deborah J Ledford is the author of the Steven Hawk/Inola Walela thriller series from Second Wind Publishing. She is president of the independent media company IOF Productions Ltd and a professional content editor. Book two of her series, SNARE, is The Hillerman Sky Award Finalist and the NM-AZ Book Award Finalist.