Audiobooks make it easy for readers to devour their books even if their eyes are otherwise occupied; they can take their books with them while they’re driving, or at the gym, or going for a walk. Audiobooks help people with disabilities as well, making it possible for everyone to read books. But have you ever thought about what goes into making an audiobook? After the book itself, the most crucial element is the narrator. And narrating audiobooks, particularly ones with more explicit content, is an art form. We asked Anything He Wants audiobook narrator Clarissa Knightly to talk about some of the more…prickly parts of her job. Thanks, Clarissa!

I’ve been narrating racy romance novels for some years now, but in the beginning there were some very particular challenges for me. It was a revelation when I figured out how to tackle the challenge of reading those words, from books that I was now reading not only out loud, but to another person, the engineer, who was recording those words. Yes, those words. Imagine the following scenario:

Engineer – “Sorry, could you do that sentence again. The ‘p’ in penis popped.”

Or:

Engineer – “Take it from ‘His tongue caressed my weeping opening.’

[Yeah, I can see that being awkward...]

Happy Halloween! It’s the 13th and final day of Heroes and Heartbreakers’s Halloween festivities, and today’s prize makes for a grand finale indeed. Three very lucky winners will score a Sherrilyn Kenyon Audio Coffin Box Set, a limited-edition collector’s box set of the first three books in Sherrilyn Kenyon’s Dark-Hunter series on CD!

Fill out the form below to enter for a chance to win one of these must-have box sets!

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Learn more about these limited-edition Audio Coffin Box sets or reserve a copy here.

We Eloisa James fans got a nice slew of books from her recently (the Happily Ever After historicals based on fairy tales) so, really, we shouldn’t be greedy. And at the end of the month, we’ll get The Ugly Duchess.

But does that stop me from whining about wanting more? Nope.

I’m looking for suggestions to tide me over. Why I read James:

1. Humor (sometimes sly, sometimes obvious)
2. Fun dialogue
3. Strong, quirky characters

With those three requirements in mind I have a few of my own ideas for my fellow Eloisa James fans. Let’s start with the obvious:

[Yes, let’s. Wait, what’s the obvious?...]

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[About the book...]

Long drives to the beach, transatlantic flights…it’s vacation season, and traveling is in full swing. What better way to start off your week of escapism by getting lost in an audiobook during that never-ending train ride? Whether you’re craving a delicious beach read or dying for something supernatural, these stellar narrations will transport you to another world for a few hours. And don’t sweat it if you’re staycation-ing this year; this summer, the stories in audio feature clever heroines, emotional rollercoasters, and plenty of guilty pleasures that you can enjoy in your own home.

The American Heiress by Daisy Goodwin, narrated by Katherine Kellgren

Debut author Daisy Goodwin presents the compelling story of a beautiful, naive young American heiress at the turn of the twentieth century who is ill-prepared for aristocratic decadence when she marries an English duke.

[A few more summer listening ideas...]

Back in childhood, your mother probably read to you. Isn’t it time you returned the favor? Maybe sitting beside her with a book isn’t practical, but that’s where audiobooks come in. This Mother’s Day, consider giving your mom the gift of a good story in audio. Your mom will get the joy of being read aloud to—most likely by someone with much better narration skills than you could have provided.

We’ve rounded up audiobooks that would make the best presents whether your mom loves a moving family centric novel or true life tales of motherhood:

A Mother’s Gift: An Inspiring Collection of This I Believe Essays Celebrating Motherhood edited by This I Believe, Inc., narrated by the various essayists, with a forward by Liane Hansen (Macmillan Audio).

An inspiring collection of the personal philosophies and core values of a fascinating group of Americans with a focus on motherhood.

[Here's to you, Mom!...]

I have two sons, and while both are voracious readers, my younger son is severely dyslexic. Not surprisingly, when they were little, reading was a weapon in the arsenal the older one used to torture his younger brother. He’d loudly announce he’d just finished a great book, then proceed to describe the story with just enough detail to make it irresistibly appealing. When his younger brother took the bait and asked, “What happened next?,” he’d fold his arms, smile and say, “I can’t give away the ending, you’ll have to read the book.”

As a lifelong bookworm, writer, and mother, the idea of using books—or rather using what’s inside of them—as a weapon horrified me. So I put a stop to it by introducing my younger son to books on tape.

My older son, being a typical sibling, tried to spoil his brother’s newfound pleasure by telling him he was “cheating.”

[Cheating, really? . . .]