Hey Everyone!

I hope the first week of August is treating you well! Here in NC, I’ve been trying to beat the heat while I work feverishly on the audiobooks of The Singing Shore II and The Singing Shore III simultaneously. I finished recording the audiobook of TSSII last month, and am now busily editing it, while also doing the initial recording of the audiobook for TSSIII at the same time.

Speaking of audiobooks, I just got a very flattering review of the audiobook of Part I, which I’m planning to share in a moment. But first, a couple of other items of business.

First of all, if you haven’t checked out the Other Places, Other Times book giveaway on Bookfunnel yet, please do. Over 100 books and stories, including mine, all for free!

Second of all, I’m opening up spots on my ARC team. So if you’d like to get free advance copies of my books a month or more before they’re released into the world, please send me an email at epclark@epclarkauthor.net.

As you may have gathered from this and previous emails, creating the audiobooks for The Singing Shore has been quite an endeavor. I do all the narrating myself, and then–which is even more time-consuming–all the editing and mastering. It’s a slow enough process that I could probably write a whole extra book in the time it takes, but on the other hand, if you listen to one of my audiobooks, you’re getting the authentic authorial voice–literally. I’ve also found it a fascinating artistic process, and have been approaching it more and more as its own performance. As part of this, I’ve been listening to top-flight audio narrations of major works of fantasy. So far, the best I’ve found is, no surprise, Andy Serkis’s narration of The Lord of the Rings. I can’t say that my own performance is quite up to that level, but I’ve certainly been doing my best. That made it extra-thrilling to get a 5-star review for the audiobook from Readers’ Favorite. To quote from the review (if I may):

“Regarding its audio presentation, E. P. Clark is one of those rare authors who can convey the wide variety of emotions and characterizations necessary to bring such an expansive series to life. I also found the editing and mastering quality to be crisp and clear, all of which further enhance the novel’s storyline. I would not hesitate to recommend The Singing Shore I to fans of the existing series and newcomer fantasy enthusiasts alike.”

After spending months alone in a recording booth and then painstakingly editing an infrared readout on a screen, it’s always gratifying to get some appreciation! If you’d like to get your own copy of the book, it’s available in all formats through this universal link. Audible is still being super slow about putting up the audiobook, but it’s available on all the other major retailers and subscription services, as well as through libraries.

And once again, if you’d like to join my ARC team, shoot me an email at epclark@epclarkauthor.net. And do check out the Other Places, Other Times book giveaway on Bookfunnel!

Happy reading,

E.P.