Benefits of "Reading" an Audiobook

Audiobooks have been around for a long time, since 1932, to be exact. They were originally developed for the blind, but have evolved and progressed throughout the years.

For a long time, the only way you could enjoy an audiobook was by purchasing a tape (I sometimes still call them books on tape), then technology evolved so you could get them on CD, and now you can download them on a variety of different electronic devices.

It’s easy to access audiobooks, assuming that the book you want has been converted into this format. However, with audiobooks being the fastest growing division of digital publishing, the chances of getting new releases in this format are pretty good.

If you’ve never “read” an audiobook before, I suggest you try it at least once, and I’ve listed some reasons why.

1. You Can Multitask

Sitting down to read is supposed to be a relaxing experience. It takes us out of our mundane lives and lets us experience countless other lives and new places. I love curling up with a book or my ereader and being immersed in another world.

However, I don’t always have time to dedicate to sitting down to read a book. I work a full-time job and take care of my family. I have a house to clean and laundry to fold. I’m running kids from one practice/event to another. At some point, I need to sleep. But that doesn’t mean I can’t read.

One of the amazing things about audiobooks is that you can “read” and do other tasks. I’ve listened to stories while at work, driving in the car, and cleaning my house. I love that I can be engaged in a story but also get other tasks accomplished. And if I want to sit down and just listen, I can do that too.

So, if you have a busy schedule with little to no time to sit and read but you crave time to “read,” download an audiobook and listen while you do other things.

2. Audiobooks Aren’t Cheating

Apparently, there’s an idea floating around that listening to an audiobook is cheating. I’m not exactly sure where this idea came from (book purists maybe who believe that reading words on the page is the only way to read?) or why, but it exists. Because this notion exists, it has been studied by scientists, and it turns out that our brains process the information the same whether we read a book or listen to a book.

So, if you’ve put off listening to audiobooks because you think it cheapens the reading experience or because you aren’t getting the same brain activity from it, you don’t have to anymore. Feel free to listen to whatever you want and enjoy it.

3. Everyone Can Enjoy an Audiobook

As the mother of two children, I know how much my kids enjoy being read to. They are working on improving their reading accuracy and fluency, which means that reading can sometimes be a chore and exhausting. I know that one day they’ll get over this issue, but until then, they still want to hear stories, and audiobooks help them accomplish that task. It’s also a great way for kids who can’t read yet to enjoy stories.

Think back to when you were a child and someone read to you. Didn’t you enjoy the hell out of it? Wasn’t there something magical about listening to the reader change their voice for the characters or a particular scene? Well, the same thing happens when you listen to an audiobook. You get to enjoy the story on another level. The narrator brings the words to life in ways you can’t imagine. It’s amazing!

4. Audiobook Availability Keeps Increasing

As demand continues to grow for audiobooks, more and more become available for readers’ listening pleasure. As the amount of books available increases, prices become more reasonable—which can be a deterrent to purchasing audiobooks. Sometimes, they are ridiculously expensive. I won’t fault you for not buying audiobooks based on price, but as they become more reasonable, they are worth looking into.

There are numerous reasons to give audiobooks a chance, but the biggest is to enjoy a story. I want to help you experience the magic of audiobooks by offering a chance to win a code to download any one of my audiobooks for free. To enter, all you have to do is leave a comment and tell me which book you would want to listen to and why (choices are listed on the side bar). 

If any of you are totally for or against audiobooks, I would love to hear why. Leave me a comment with your thoughts!

Projects In Progress

Is it just me, or is anyone else a little weirded out that it’s May? That means that school is almost out and summer is right around the corner. It means FREEDOM! I’m not sure I’m ready for the boys to be away from their schedule. I’m sure they are.

Despite my unreadiness, time will keep marching forward and summer is the perfect time to lose yourself in some great books. I’ve got some in the works, so I wanted to share what projects I have in progress and what you can expect from me in 2018.

Death to the Undead Audiobook

The second book in the Life After the Undead series has been recorded and should be approved any day now by ACX. If you haven’t listened to the first, you can find it on Audible or iTunes.

The Ifs Audiobook(s)

I am also getting The Ifs series turned into audiobooks. The first one should be available mid-summer. I will let you know when that’s available.

Undead Ifs
Speaking of The Ifs, the third book in the series, Undead Ifs, will be available in Kindle and paperback format soon. Again, if you haven’t read the other two books in the series (The Ifs and The Ifs Return), now is a good time to get caught up.

Edge of Humanity

I’m assuming that toward the end of the year Edge of Humanity will be available as an ebook and paperback. It’s the second in the Saving Humanity series—Humanity’s Hope is the first. Check it out if you haven’t had a chance!

What happens when humanity's hope rests on the shoulders of a teenager?

Caleb didn’t come out of the zombie uprising unscathed. He’s been scarred—both mentally and physically. The rest of humanity is trying to rebuild, to make the world normal again. Caleb is trying to return to a normal life also, but after all he’s seen, after the loss of his family and friends, the transition is difficult. The darkness that led him down a path of self-doubt and self-harm has never left his mind.

Things only become worse when he discovers he’s immune to whatever makes a zombie a zombie. Fighting zombies was predictable. He knew what to expect. Fighting humans is volatile. They are malicious and treacherous. They won’t stop to get what they want, and Caleb has to figure out exactly what that is.

Summer is the best time to get find yourself in new and exciting worlds and to meet some new imaginary friends. I hope to expand and enrich your reading experience with my latest releases and the first stories from the various series.

Reasons to “Read” an Audiobook

Audiobooks have been around for a long time, since 1932, to be exact. They were originally developed for the blind, but have evolved and progressed throughout the years.

For a long time, the only way you could enjoy an audiobook was by purchasing a tape (I sometimes still call them books on tape), then technology evolved so you could get them on CD, and now you can download them on a variety of different electronic devices.

It’s easy to access audiobooks, assuming that the book you want has been converted into this format. However, with audiobooks being the fastest growing division of digital publishing, the chances of getting new releases in this format are pretty good.

If you’ve never “read” an audiobook before, I suggest you try it at least once, and I’ve listed some reasons why.

1. You Can Multitask

Sitting down to read is supposed to be a relaxing experience. It takes us out of our mundane lives and lets us experience countless other lives and new places. I love curling up with a book or my ereader and being immersed in another world.

However, I don’t always have time to dedicate to sitting down to read a book. I work a full-time job and take care of my family. I have a house to clean and laundry to fold. I’m running kids from one practice/event to another. At some point, I need to sleep. But that doesn’t mean I can’t read.

One of the amazing things about audiobooks is that you can “read” and do other tasks. I’ve listened to stories while at work, driving in the car, and cleaning my house. I love that I can be engaged in a story but also get other tasks accomplished. And if I want to sit down and just listen, I can do that too.

So, if you have a busy schedule with little to no time to sit and read but you crave time to “read,” download an audiobook and listen while you do other things.

2. Audiobooks Aren’t Cheating

Apparently, there’s an idea floating around that listening to an audiobook is cheating. I’m not exactly sure where this idea came from (book purists maybe who believe that reading words on the page is the only way to read?) or why, but it exists. Because this notion exists, it has been studied by scientists, and it turns out that our brains process the information the same whether we read a book or listen to a book.

So, if you’ve put off listening to audiobooks because you think it cheapens the reading experience or because you aren’t getting the same brain activity from it, you don’t have to anymore. Feel free to listen to whatever you want and enjoy it.

3. Everyone Can Enjoy an Audiobook

As the mother of two children, I know how much my kids enjoy being read to. They are working on improving their reading accuracy and fluency, which means that reading can sometimes be a chore and exhausting. I know that one day they’ll get over this issue, but until then, they still want to hear stories, and audiobooks help them accomplish that task. It’s also a great way for kids who can’t read yet to enjoy stories.

Think back to when you were a child and someone read to you. Didn’t you enjoy the hell out of it? Wasn’t there something magical about listening to the reader change their voice for the characters or a particular scene? Well, the same thing happens when you listen to an audiobook. You get to enjoy the story on another level. The narrator brings the words to life in ways you can’t imagine. It’s amazing!

4. Audiobook Availability Keeps Increasing

As demand continues to grow for audiobooks, more and more become available for readers’ listening pleasure. As the amount of books available increases, prices become more reasonable—which can be a deterrent to purchasing audiobooks. Sometimes, they are ridiculously expensive. I won’t fault you for not buying audiobooks based on price, but as they become more reasonable, they are worth looking into. 

There are numerous reasons to give audiobooks a chance, but the biggest is to enjoy a story. I want to help you experience the magic of audiobooks by offering a chance to win a code to download my audiobook Life After the Undead for free. To enter, all you have to do is leave a comment and tell me what your preferred weapon would be for the zombie apocalypse. 

If any of you are totally for or against audiobooks, I would love to hear why. Leave me a comment with your thoughts!

Off Kilter

This week marks the third week I’ve been at my new job, and I’m still trying to get a schedule down. It doesn’t help that I took a trip to Nebraska over the weekend or that I had a presentation 3 hours away on Tuesday. I’m not complaining about either of those—they were fun—but they’ve thrown me off.

For those who know me, I thrive on a schedule. It gives me a sense of control and helps ease my anxiety. I can be flexible if I need to be, but it’s not exactly natural for me. I like to have a schedule so I can get my work (whatever it may be) done in a timely manner. Deadlines are a source of stress for me—even self-imposed ones that I can move if I really want.

This week has definitely been a challenge, and I’ve apparently been a little stressed out. I’ve had nightmares twice this week and I haven’t been sleeping well. In addition, I haven’t been writing. I feel out of sorts, unable to focus, and completely overwhelmed.

Things will settle down soon (I hope), and I’ll get back on track. I just need my schedule back…



So, as I mentioned in the first paragraph, I took a few trips this past week, and I tried something a little different: I downloaded some audiobooks. I always think about doing that, but then I totally forget when the times comes. Well, this time I made sure I remembered. I’ve listened to audiobooks before, just not in the car.

Here are the books I “read”:

I have been reminded why my boys like to be read to. It’s nice to be surrounded by the words and drawn into the story by the narrator’s voice. It’s also nice to be able to get through so many books in such a short amount of time.

Don’t get me wrong, I still love holding a book in my hand and reading in my mind, but it is a treat to listen to a book too—especially if the narrator is good. It’s really nice to listen to books when I’m in the car because it keeps me awake and gives me something to do.

What are your thoughts on audiobooks or schedules?