Dear Wonderful Backers,

I know I have said thank you several times, but please know I MEAN IT. Thank you. THANK YOU. LIFT is now live on Audible.com, Amazon.com and iTunes. Go check it out!

I have been a longtime Audible member. I drive A LOT and love to listen to books. So  I used a credit to download LIFT and started it up. I squealed when I heard the familiar "This is Audible" and the intro music started up. I don't know what it will take to get me to entirely believe that I am really a writer, an author, an artist... but it is moments like this that make me believe I AM for at least a moment. That moment was bliss. That moment would have never happened without you.

I hope you will download it if you do not have it and listen if you have the early download that was a perk. I hope that you will be proud of the product that you made possible. There are little things I would have done better, but I think that is the perfectionist in me. It does sound very professional.

If you listen and enjoy please do me one last favor...  Tell your friends. Link it on your Facebook page, write a review or tweet about it. (You can even pin it on Pinterest) Every little bit helps me out. LIFT is a little book that could and I hope it can chug up that hill a little higher...

xoxo Rebecca

Dear Fabulous Backers,

Last week we recorded the afterword, wrapped edits, added the music and rendered the audio for LIFT. Whew! I learned so much in the studio. I had no idea how much focus it takes to read your own work for hours. I could hear it in the recording if my mind had wandered and I wasn't really thinking about what I was reading. I also learned it is really fricking hard to say "bigger than a lazy mallard living on palm-fed cracked corn." I doubt I will ever write another sentence without wondering if it will slide off the tongue with ease. Like every new experience, I can only hope this one has made me a better writer. What I can say with certainty is that I had a blast.

As is often the case, the project came in at a heftier cost than expected. When all was said and done the cost of studio time and editing was $1700. (And may be a bit more if ACX asks for any edits) So, honestly, there is no way I could have paid for this project without everyone's support. THANK YOU!

Hopefully everyone who is owed a pre-release audio has received the email with the download information. Please drop me a line if you haven't. I hope you will listen. I'm crossing my fingers that you like it. And it would be wonderful if you will point your friends to Amazon and Audible where it will soon be available for sale. I will drop you all a line when that happens. 

Again, thank you so much for your encouragement and support. Much love to you all!!

rebecca

Thank you all again, for helping to make my 2011 a wonderful year!

Recording in the studio has wrapped as have the first round of edits on the LIFT audiobook. All that's left is for me to comb through the six hours of audio and mark that last few edits as well as write and record the afterword. (Now would be the time to shoot me a line if there is something in particular you would like to know about what has happened in the 8 years following the story in LIFT) Brian, the audio engineer will do these last few edits and lay in the music to the intro and outro and walla! Last step will be to get the digital download to backers and off to ACX for final approval.

WHEW!

In the meantime, here is a chapter of LIFT that I don't think has any spoilers and stands on it's own for your enjoyment. (Remember-- final edits-- it's not perfect. But it's close.)

xxR

http://soundcloud.com/rebeccakoconnor/lift-not-a-hunter 

Dear Friends,

By now, I was hoping to be reporting on the editing process of the Lift audiobook. Unfortunately, I hit a road block about halfway into recording the book -- pneumonia. I was hoping to wrap up over Thanksgiving week, take some photos and video and give you an update. Instead I was in bed with 103 degree fever and wondering what was up that I couldn't shake the flu I seemed to have. I feel oh so much better now, but the ability to breathe and to not cough are essential to recording an audiobook. And so... my schedule has been pushed back a few weeks.

I (hopefully) get back in the studio next Thursday and will update you after that.

In the meantime, if you haven't read the story about my writing beginnings coming full circle with meeting Neil Gaiman and putting a copy of Lift in his hand. Check out this blog post.

More soon!!

xxRebecca

Those of you who are receiving pre-audiobook perks should be seeing them in your mailbox. The last batch was mailed out on Wednesday this week. If you don't get yours, drop me a line! Drop me a line anyway to let me know what you think of Anakin's signature. :)

I go into the studio on November 10th to start recording. I'm so excited! ACX is proving to be an exciting way to get audiobooks in production and into the world. Last week well-known writer (one of my favorite writers) Neil Gaiman unveiled his "Neil Gaiman Presents" line of books on Audible.com through ACX. Gaiman is bringing a lot of attention to the ACX/Audible mode of producing audiobooks and it's great to see the buzz starting. I've had a few brief exchanges with Neil and he has been a wonderful cheerleader over our (yours and mine) success raising the funds for the project and in encouraging me to get into the studio. The fan girl in me delights!

So thank you all again for making this fantastic opportunity possible for me. I'll be sure to post video and photos once I get into the studio.

xxRebecca