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I've always loved reading.
When I was a kid, I remember walking to the library on hot summer days, feeling the cool air hit me as I opened the glass door, the intoxicating smell of thousands of books, stacked up like colorful, limitless possibilities on the shelves, and tables, and chairs. I would thoughtfully select my treasures, hand them over to the library lady to stamp them like some exotic passport and, once home, escape to my bedroom and lose myself in my newest adventure.
As I grew older, my love for reading never died. But it was bumped way down on the priority list- making room for work, family obligations... life. So when Audio books and podcasts became a "thing," I was all in. Finally, I could feed my mind - and soul- while stuck in traffic, on the treadmill, folding laundry or emptying the dishwasher, or walking the dogs.
Never in a million years did I ever think I'd ever record one.
Many of you have asked me,
"How long did it take?"
It took about 20 hours over 2 months to record 5 and 1/2 hours of finished recording, plus all of the many, many hours Betsy put in to edit, master, and re-master the audio files. I could read for about 1.5- 2 hours at a time, max. After that, my voice got tired and sounded different.
"What was it like?"
It was SO much fun.
I was nervous at first, having never done this before - but Betsy and Drew, my fantastic producer and director at BH Audio, are pros. They made me feel relaxed right away. So did Bennie, Snickie, Reggie, and Abby - the four studio dogs who greeted me every time I arrived at the happy, bright turquoise recording studio.
I've had voice and speaking training throughout my career. But I channeled this book. It came from my life and my heart, after all.
There were a few challenges:
An annoying head cold delayed recording for almost 3 weeks.
Figuring out the timing of snacks was interesting. You never realize how much your stomach gurgles until the sounds are picked up by super-sonic-hi-tech-studio microphones!
And then there was the time Gunther took an unexpected swim in Betsy's pool. We both dove in after him - Betsy with her iPhone still in her pocket. Ugh!
But it all worked out beautifully.
I am over-the-top thrilled with the result, which had Betsy and Drew laughing and tearing up multiple times, sometimes on the same page.
Professional sound recording and editing is a magical thing.
Betsy got a shiny new phone.
And, as it turns out, 18-year old chubby Jack Russells can float!
If you read yesterday's Decide Happy post, you know that I'm celebrating the launch of the Audio Book, with a special Thank You gift for My People.
I want everyone to have access to less stress, more joy.
So...the e-Book of Decide Happy is available on Amazon for $2.99.
Decide Happy is now available on Amazon, Audible and iTunes
(Yep, I'm still pinching myself !)
And - I thought you might enjoy this little video "Sneak peek" into the studio experience!
Please enjoy!
Let me know what you think.
And thank you for continuing to support me and the Decide Happy mission by shining your light in a world that so desperately needs it.
With so much Love,
Susan
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