The Making of my Audio book!

This is my official book release day, where the complete book is finally available for the first time, in kindle, paperback, and audio book format!

This is a milestone for me. I can now cross off, make an audio book off my bucket list. *Happiness!* 

I finished the book, and made a real audio book even though I had very little tools at my disposal. Without the big ole fancy recording gear, without a fancy recording room, despite the naysayers on the internet who discourage authors from making their own audio book, with lengthy lists trying to stop any who might dare venture into dangerous self empowering the realm of---what if? Maybe I could...

But...
But....
I did it!
I did!

I felt much like David against Goliath, starting out. It seemed impossible. To record 300 pages on your own, in your upstairs bedroom, where the house shakes every time a semi truck rumbles past. Where the trains chug by every fifteen minutes, in your little room above the kitchen where you can hear the doors slam, and pots clatter, and feet thunder up and down the stairs.

 It's good I didn't think too long about what I'd gotten myself into when I first started out, or how big Goliath was in the first place, because I might have turn tail and run. At first I wanted all the kings armor, because that's what everybody said you needed to make an audio book. They said it was impossible to do so without it. 

I started to believe them.
But then...
I just couldn't shake the possibility.
Could I?
I don't know.
I could try.
Yes.

But I didn't have any fancy armor.  All I had were a few small stones, a crazy amount of determination, my little blue snowball as my microphone, and audacity as my free audio editor, and me my voice and I. And time. 

But I ventured forth. 

It took three months.
I was in my room for hours---hours! 
My voice got raw.
My bum got numb.
My bloodshot eyes fell out.
My room filled up with throat drop wrappers, and about 30 glasses of quart jars from me jugging so much water. 
To combat the constant barrage of noise, I created notes, signs, and various pictographs and left them all around the house, taped them to the doors, ceilings, and everywhere! Eventually it caught on around the house that I meant business. 

It wasn't instantaneous. 
But Goliath fell. HE FELL!
All it took was a blue snowball mic, my voice, belief that it could be done, a lot of prayers, determination and time. 



It challenged everything in me. And I believe it's made me a better person, which is what life's really about, growing, and becoming a little better than the day before, and testing your limits.
 

Without waiting any further. I'm super excited to say that:

On this blog I'm going to reveal, my never before seen trailer.
Bloopers from my audio book.
And you get to listen to the entire first Chapter of my book, absolutely Free. (As seen on the top of this page) 

Also, if YOU happen to like this book, or know someone who would, it could make a huge difference if to them, and me if you took an active part helping me spread the message of this book. 

             If you're interested in what the book is about, here's a little teaser

 

• IMAGINE A world where Everyone was exactly the Same, including YOU, BECAUSE Same was Safe.

•  The Unsame Ones, is a riveting story of an ordinary January whose Same life takes an extraordinary turn, when something different throws her off of her Same track, and propels her into the forbidden realm of Unsame. Where once her life revolved only around the clock, and listening to only its sound, she starts to hear something different, something real, something powerful, and spell-binding that ignites a fierce desire to overcome the pull of Same, to know the truth, and to discover the vibrant power of music, even at the deadly cost of being infected with the Unsame virus, and losing her place in the world of SAME FOREVER.

• The Unsame Ones is a gripping story that will appeal 7th to 12th graders, music enthusiast, kids, and individuals who have trouble fitting into the "in" crowd.
•  
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• Listen to  the first chapter free, via soundcloud.com/user-983396413-197387075/the-unsame-ones-prologue-first-chapter-free

• Full Audio book version read by the author, in a sharp, riveting recording, available at cdbaby.com/cd/stephanieskeem

• Or amazon.com/gp/product/B01C51VPKK?ie=UTF8&keywords=The+Unsame+Ones&qid=1456366627&ref_=sr_1_1&s=dmusic&sr=1-1-mp3-albums-bar-strip-0 ).

 For Kindle versions http://www.amazon.com/Unsame-Ones-Stephanie-Skeem-ebook/dp/B01C249IRM/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

Smashwords kindle version

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/617256https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/617256

Paperback  http://www.amazon.com/Unsame-Ones-Stephanie-Skeem/dp/150070802X/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

The official  trailer 

Back cover blurb

 Okay now for some embarrassing stuff.



 This little blooper happened at the very start of the first chapter.

I was recording my audio book when I just couldn't spit out the words, "What else could they have done with it?" I let my mother listen to it, and she laughed so hard she cried. In honor of my audio book coming out, I'd thought I'd share a laugh.

This is the blooper. Enjoy.



 

Good News!

Hi ya all.

It's been months. Yes. Months.

I have tons of stories, and little things I've wanted to pen down, and tell you.
Christmas and New Years has come and gone, lots living, lots of physical therapy with my elbow. And I'm still working on getting full motion back. It's been a long, long road.
        I feel like I have about ten bazillion stories I want to tell you at once. I even have a really good Christmas story adventure that is worth sharing. I've always been jealous of people with those warm fuzzy Christmas stories to tell, true stories, that happen, but don't happen to me.
It's weird because I actually have one now. Maybe I'll tell it to you sometime soon. But because I'm bursting with some good news. I'm just going to tell you!!

 My book, The Unsame Ones, is finally, finally, finally coming out Feb 26, 2016!!!!!!

Seriously. I didn't ever think this day would come, for all the sabotages that have been tossed my way. But it's for real, and true!!!
This Friday. Boom. It's out. Finished!

 It's a book about finding your voice, the power of music, the strength of individuality, and overcoming the pull of Same.


It's been a long journey. Much looooooooooooonger than I ever thought. The whole idea for it was born in the night, about a year or two ago, while my sister was fixing one of her old violins. Then we got started talking about how mysterious violins are, how beautiful and untouchable they seem. Then the conversation morphed into a whole bunch of what ifs about music, and life. A few days later I wrote down several ideas we had talked about, and then I started playing around with the idea on paper, only to have my work eaten up by my computer. So I started over. Writing, writing, editing. Then when I was just about finished, the whole story vanished again! But through a miracle, I was able to retrieve it out of the bowels of the computer. All I can say is that it was a bumpy road, curved, with lots of stops, starts, hills and valleys. Between breaking my finger, then dislocating my elbow, a lot of my plans got put on hold. I've had to learn to be patient, and willing to do things in God's timing. Not my own. Then I got this brilliant idea to do an audio book. To get the audio book finished and edited, it took me three months of time intensive work. For every hour of audio produced, it took me a minimum of ten hours, at very least, to get it finished. It was feeling a bit crazy! What was I thinking? Producing my own audio book? Who does that? I'm not sure.
My sis and mom, and brother have been awesome tip-toeing around the house so as not to make too much noise while I was recording. I'm sure they got their share of listening to me outside my door, shout and make weird voices.
 
I consumed more gallons of water than I ever have in my life, and piles of throat drops. It was an experience that I'm proud of completing, even if I am the only one who benefited from it. If all goes well, and the audio is approved, the audio book will also be available in the next little while. *Crosses fingers. I feel more nervous than anything* I keep on looking around the corner, asking myself, "Am I really finished? Oh my! For reals? Really?"
Thanks to everybody who has helped, and supported me in my creative endeavors. I will be putting the first chapter of my audio book, on youtube as soon as I can. I also have a book trailer I've been working on that I will upload when I'm finished.

 So yeah. That is my news. And I promise, I'll be back soon with more updates, now that I'm not spending hours, and hours, and hours on recording. 

Thank you guys for sticking with me, through everything! 


 This is one of the many scribbles I posted all around the house while doing my audio book. I'm not sure where my more in depth notes went, with my petroglyph-like art depicting noisy people and elephants. It was good stuff....should have saved them.