Sunday, December 6, 2015

Amie's Review of Restless Waters by Jessica Park ~ AUDIOBOOK RELEASE EVENT ~ GIVEAWAY ~


We are so excited to celebrate the audio release of Restless Waters by Jessica Park! 


RESTLESS WATERS Audiobook
Author: Jessica Park
Narrated by Arielle DeLisle
Music by Troy
Release date: November 2015





A storm is coming, and with storms come restless waters.

Pulled from the depths of catastrophe and depression, Blythe McGuire has learned to escape from her past while embracing the future. A future now entwined with the Shepherd siblings.

With Chris, she shares a staggering romance that kicks heartbreak’s ass.

With Sabin, she shares an intense friendship, one that’s becoming more complicated than either had expected. A friendship now being put to the test because Sabin’s brutal past still haunts him. Because trauma is the gift that keeps on giving without mercy.

Now Sabin is the one left drowning and struggling to breathe, and his turmoil threatens to send all three into dark currents they cannot escape. Even after going through her own hell, saving Sabin will take much more than Blythe had anticipated. Their connection and their love could help, but getting him to reach for her hand could be Blythe’s biggest challenge ever.
 



From Author Jessica Park

Gah! I am so excited for the release of the Restless Waters audiobook! It’s always exciting when a book I’ve written comes to life in a new form, but this project snowballed into something more beautiful than I could have imagined. I wasn’t sure I was even going to do an audiobook, but then I reconnected with my fabulous Left Drowning narrator, Arielle DeLisle. Once she was on board, my enthusiasm for creating this version of my book soared. She understands my characters as well as I do, and she’s the only person in the world I would entrust to deliver their voices.

So, as thrilled as I was to have her attached to this project, there was one idea I had to present, and I wasn’t sure how it would go over with her...

Restless Waters includes lyrics from my friend and phenomenally talented musician, Troy. Beyond that, he actually wrote a song for me! Er, well, for the book. “Coward” is the powerful single he created, and everything about it reaches into my heart. More music from the book is available on his recently released EP, When The Lights Came, and he’ll also be releasing more music from the book soon!

So, I couldn’t imagine having these lyrics narrated... I mean, it’s one thing to read the lyrics in the context of the book, because it’s sort of the equivalent of poetry, but I felt sure something would really be lost if they were read aloud. More than that, we had an opportunity to do something incredibly unique and dynamic.

Because Arielle is a sassy rule breaker and a rebel, like I am, she agreed: We would ask Troy to record acoustic versions of his music to incorporate into the audiobook.

And then Troy agreed.

And then suddenly the three of us were working together seamlessly on this production! An indie trifecta, each of us bringing something different to this work, and all of us supporting and cheering on the other. It was an extraordinary experience.

Troy and I have been trying to work together for years (his former band, In Like Lions, is mentioned in Flat-Out Love!), and we finally got our chance. Troy is, without a doubt, the voice of Sabin. Nobody sings with Troy’s level of passion, emotion, depth, soul, and beauty. It was an honor to use his lyrics in the text of the book, but hearing his voice as Sabin’s in the audiobook is phenomenally moving, and I am so grateful for all the work he put in. Troy also narrates the chapter titles and opening lyrics, and I think it’s just perfect having him as Sabin doing those introductory pieces.

As far as the three of us know, an audiobook that incorporates music as the Restless Waters one does hasn’t been done before, so that’s another thrill for us! Listeners not only get to savor Arielle’s perfect narration (Man, does she capture these characters and all the ups and downs of the story!), but they get to hear what it would be like to be right there with Sabin as he sings and plays guitar.

We are so proud of this audiobook and terribly excited for fans of the Left Drowning series to take a listen!





 https://www.dropbox.com/s/m5105qc5zxae6vc/citylights_excerpt.mp3?dl=0




From narrator Arielle DeLisle

Restless Waters was a project I held very close to my heart. The timing of how it came together for me -- as a narrator and collaborator and fan of the prequel I'd recorded 2 years ago -- was truly a beautiful experience for me. It's one of my favorite projects I've worked on, ever. To say this was an intense recording experience would be an understatement! Not only was this thick with emotion and depth, which required a lot from me as a narrator, a challenge I absolutely loved, but it also is an exceptionally unique multimedia audiobook. I could not imagine a better suited team, all of us with our own personal connections to the work, and all driven toward the end-product being as great as we could make it. 

Working with Troy and his producer, Dante, to get just the right feel and timing to allow the story to unfold around and on top of the music was a beautiful enhancement to this already moving story. I have a background in commercial production and was able to facilitate this collaboration, and Jessica and I were on the same page -- if we break the rules of how audiobooks are produced, it has to have meaning and it has to be perfect. The script informs the narration, introducing the music adds dimension to the tone, and the blend of narration and music work together to create an atmosphere that you just don't get when it's only one piece or the other. I love what we've done and couldn't be happier with how it all came together.





Read Restless Waters, Chapters 1-2

http://www.jessicapark.me/preview-chapters.html


 



AMIE'S 5 STAR REVIEW !!

First I will say I am reading an ARC for the audio tour but I have never done an audiobook so I chose a mobi version , I may regret that seeing that there is music and emotion and so many other things an audiobook may have enhanced. Secondly I will say I was dumb and read some reviews and now that I have finished the book I am wondering if I read something different ?? I won't say I liked this book better than LD BUT I did feel more certainty that these characters were actually going to be ok after reading this story. The majority of this has to do with Sabin and his struggle BUT it is told by Blythe and gives us some clear insight into their super lovey weird friendship. I truly appreciated figuring them out because they had an intensity that made me fear for the brothers and Blythe and Chris. So anyways I was happy with this piece of the story because I knew even though they kicked heartaches a$$ at the end of LD that they had only just begun to heal.


Eric and Estelle may be at school and on their way to healing, Chris has Blythe and they are healing in Maine doing their thing yet poor Sabin is lost. He is lost in the past , he is confused for his future and he is struggling with how he feels about his brother and how he feels for Blythe. His struggles take him away from the group and despite trying to distance himself they barrel their way in and go to him instead. Out of this fierce love they all have for each other comes some happiness but then after weeks together that happiness is blown to bits by rage , honesty and confusion. Can Blythe and Sabin salvage their friendship , can Blythe help Sabin to heal ?? What will Chris think about these new revelations ?? Sabin is a very deep person and you can feel his struggle in the words of his songs and in the forced obnoxious behavior he gives. Don't get me wrong I love all of Sabin's little quirks and he makes me laugh but knowing him now I also break for him. I just want to cuddle him and never let go. There was one more BIG revelation or connection in this story that is mindblowing and amazing and just WOW !! Chris may not have been a believer of FATE but seriously you just cannot deny that something more than coincidence has brought these two families together. So now I feel complete and although I would love stories for the other Shepherd kids I am content with how it all ended.


 
  
 

GIVEAWAY



3 winners will receive Left Drowning (ebook) via Amazon





About Jessica Park




Jessica is the author of LEFT DROWNING, the New York Times bestselling FLAT-OUT LOVE (and the companion piece FLAT-OUT MATT), and RELATIVELY FAMOUS. She lives in New Hampshire where she spends an obscene amount time thinking about rocker boys and their guitars, complex caffeinated beverages, and tropical vacations. On the rare occasions that she is able to focus on other things, she writes.

Please visit her at jessicapark.me and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/authorjessicapark and Twitter @JessicaPark24






Connect with Troy










Instagram (@iamtroymusic):  http://instagram.com/iamtroymusic
YouTube: http://youtube.com/troyrmusic
Twitter: (@iamtroymusic) http://twitter.com/iamtroymusic
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/troy.ramey.96

 




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