Enjoy my audio books at the following link:
Ruby Allure's Books
Ruby Allure's Books
Showing posts with label humour. Show all posts
Showing posts with label humour. Show all posts
Monday, 26 September 2016
The Cucumber Catastrophe in The Hairy-Legged Mystery....
Today has been fun because I have had numerous questions about The Hairy-Legged Mystery and where such an idea came from. In all honesty these amusing little things just pop into my head and I find myself smirking. I then think hmmmm how can I turn this into something that will make me laugh while I write. It is that simple... Anyway Lisa Hicks is the voice behind The Hairy-Legged Mystery and I feel that I would love to share her voice interpretation. She has me in hysterics! So here is the moment in the book where the cucumber patch is in a bit of a disaster!
I hope you all find it amusing...
Enjoy my audio books at the following link:
Enjoy my audio books at the following link:
Friday, 19 August 2016
Can having your legs waxed wipe out the electricity in a remote Sri Lankan village?
Can having your legs waxed wipe out the electricity in a remote Sri Lankan village?
One of my great friends is convinced that I got the inspiration for one of my more recent children's books from a leg waxing experience. In fact, she announced on the train that while we were in Sri Lanka that my leg wax caused a static burst that destroyed the electricity connections across a village... She said I was 'The Hairy-Legged Mystery!'
As with all myths, this one started when I looked at my 'holiday' legs and thought they needed a wax. That afternoon, while we were travelling on a Sri Lankan train, my friend frowned at me and said 'I think those hairy-bad-boys need a wax'. She pointed at my legs rather than any other part of my body. So after travelling across Sri Lanka by train, we came to a lovely village in the mountains. It was here we found a beauty salon that had a rather good waxing menu. So while I volunteered myself for a hair-ripping experience, my great friend negotiated a rather large gin in a giant jar. She was happy to say the least and I knew, being that she was a laughter therapist, that the bar was going to be in laughaceous uproar by the time I returned.
That evening I dubiously I crossed the road and my friend waved with a huge smirk on her face and a jar of gin in her hand. She knew I hated waxing but it was necessary. Legs that resembled cousin IT, from the Adam's family was not attractive and resulted in some terrible tan lines. What's more a hairy halo around one's legs was drawing some rather curious looks from the locals.
So there I am with two lovely Sri Lankan beauticians concealing their hairy horror. The wax was applied and Rrrrip! All the village lights went out. In complete darkness I wondered whether the hair on ones' legs could create an enormous static burst... Who was I to deny the fact that the timing was immaculate? Could one quantum hair destroy a planet? Could a hairy-legged entanglement wipe out a village electricity? 'Oh madam,' said one of the beauticians. The pair proceeded to shine their mobile torches and continued with the hair-ripping escapades.
LINK TO THE HAIRY LEGGED MYSTERY:
Sunday, 26 June 2016
NEW 5 STAR REVIEW ON TINGLE DINGLE AND THE LITTLE MISCHIEFS
The First 5 Star Review on Tingle Dingle and The Little Mischiefs
06-17-16
"Nice book for my grandchildren"
Where does Tingle Dingle and the Little Mischiefs rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?
I haven't listened to very many but I loved the way the narrator added sound effects. Even though this is a childrens' book I thorough enjoyed listening to it.
What did you like best about this story?
The sound effects
What about Triera Holley’s performance did you like?
Her voice is soothing and clear.
Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?
Not particularly.
Ruby Allure BOOKS ON AUDIBLE.COM
http://www.audible.com/search/ref=a_mn_mt_ano_tseft__galileo?advsearchKeywords=Ruby+Allure&x=0&y=0
http://www.audible.com/search/ref=a_mn_mt_ano_tseft__galileo?advsearchKeywords=Ruby+Allure&x=0&y=0
NEW RELEASE: TINGLE DINGLE AND THE LITTLE MISCHIEFS
NEW RELEASE: THE HAIRY-LEGGED MYSTERY
Saturday, 18 June 2016
An Interview with Lisa Hicks, the voice behind The Hairy Legged Mystery!
An Interview with Lisa Hicks, the voice behind The Hairy Legged Mystery!
This week The Hairy-Legged Mystery burst onto the audiobook market and made a hugely hairy impact. With the audio fluffaciousness reaching the masses, I felt that the world like to know a bit more about Lisa Hicks - the voice artist and producer behind the audiobook. Lisa trained as an actor, spent
several years acting on stage, in TV and film, and then became an elementary
school librarian. I guess you want to know a little bit more than that... So here are some questions that will give you a better insight.
Q: How did you get into producing audiobooks?
I love “Kid Lit”, I love reading it,
I love listening to it and I love being a matchmaker – finding just the right
book for each kid. Part of my job in the
library was to read aloud to the students, and they enjoyed my readings as much
as I enjoyed performing books for them.
I am also an avid audiobook
listener. I listen during car trips,
while walking and while doing housework.
When a narrator “gets” the author’s voice, then has the skills to
communicate that voice, it is magic and I am transported into the book in a
powerful way.
A few years ago I began to wonder if
I could combine my acting training, experience with kids, love of books and
technical skills to become a narrator myself.
It has been two years of a roller-coaster-learning-curve, but I am
enjoying the ride!
Q: What do you look for when choosing to work on an audio
book?
For the moment I am sticking with
what I know – kids’ ‘tween and teen
books, but I feel sure I will branch out with experience. I look for books which respect the
intelligence of the audience. I will not audition for a book if I feel the
author is talking down to the young reader, or manipulating a reader of any
age.
Q:
What are some of your funniest/ weirdest and most awkward experiences
within audio production?
Hmm… I’m something of a
newbie. Check back with me in a couple
of years ;-)
Q: What was it about The Hairy-Legged Mystery books that
appealed?
I fell in love with the characters
and their family life. I wanted to be in
that family where the kids love to play outside, where they think fast, take
risks and back each other up. Hats off
to their working parents, who manage to give their kids space, but hang with
them at bedtime too, telling wildly imaginative stories.
Also, I should mention Ruby that
your writing style makes narrating easy.
You have a natural conversational tone with realistic dialogue, which
made the job of a narrating this book an absolute pleasure.
Q: What are your favourite bits of The Hairy-Legged mystery
that the readers should listen out for?
Listen for the tea-time scene in
which Ben and Jenny hide the creature under the table. While
banana peels and orange skins fly, the pair try to cover the sounds and
distract their parents from discovering their secret.
Q: What advice do you have for authors intending to produce
audiobooks?
GO FOR IT! The audiobook audience is growing. There are people like me who listen while
doing mindless tasks, people who are learning English and will use your book to
improve their language skills, and there are brilliantly intelligent people who
are dyslexic and who appreciate a good read minus the agro of decoding . GO FOR IT!
LINK TO THE HAIRY LEGGED MYSTERY ON AUDIO:
http://www.audible.com/pd/Kids/The-Hairy-Legged-Mystery-Audiobook/B01H2HF0XU/ref=a_search_c4_1_9_srTtl?qid=1466104902&sr=1-9
Ruby Allure BOOKS ON AMAZON.COM - https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=dp_byline_sr_ebooks_1?ie=UTF8&text=Ruby+Allure&search-alias=digital-text&field-author=Ruby+Allure&sort=relevancerank
Ruby Allure BOOKS ON AUDIBLE.COM
http://www.audible.com/search/ref=a_mn_mt_ano_tseft__galileo?advsearchKeywords=Ruby+Allure&x=0&y=0
http://www.audible.com/search/ref=a_mn_mt_ano_tseft__galileo?advsearchKeywords=Ruby+Allure&x=0&y=0
NEW RELEASE: TINGLE DINGLE AND THE LITTLE MISCHIEFS
NEW RELEASE: THE HAIRY-LEGGED MYSTERY
Friday, 27 May 2016
The Joy of Releasing Children's books
Share the Joy...
There are certain things in life that are a real joy and for me sitting creating random stories that make me laugh at the computer is one of them... I know... However, if you don't laugh hysterically at your own jokes then why should other people find them funny? Well that is my justification - I practice my humour on myself!
Anyway now that you all know that I can be found at a laptop laughing, I wanted to share my joy. Writing for children has to be one of the most fun things ever. First of all you can be a real kid when you write and children get the most bizarre humour. What's more, when you see their little faces light up because they love the story... Well that to me is just magical. Of course the best bit is when they actually laugh at something that you have spent ages laughing at... Phew! So today I released Tingle Dingle and The Little Mischiefs - it will be on sale tomorrow on Kindle. It is aimed at the ages 4-7. It was yet another really fun little book that was written for my friend's kiddies. These are the same people that persuaded me to release The Hairy Legged Mystery. So this week two new books have hit the market and I always find it interesting to watch the response... We will see... In the meantime, here is the first chapter. I hope you like it... This book was written to be a bedtime story...
Tingle Dingle and The Little Mischiefs.
CHAPTER 1
Tingle could not help herself as she quietly placed the huge
spider on her Aunty Joanne’s plate while she was not looking. Tingle sat
waiting quietly knowing that no one had noticed except for her little brother.
He knew not say anything otherwise there would be trouble! There was silence in
the open plan apartment while the two children waited.
They waited and waited and waited. For two minutes Tingle
and Josh sat quietly watching the huge spider climb Aunty Joanne’s roast
potatoes. Her aunty stopped chatting, lifted her fork and then...
‘AHhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh,’ Aunty Joanne’s shrill scream made both Tingle and
Josh cover their ears.
Aunty Joanne jumped backwards from her chair.
The chair hit a table full of ornaments. SMASH! CRASH! and
BAMMMMM!
Tingle sniggered. Her mother quickly grabbed a glass and
covered the spider. She then dashed to the communal garden where the spider was
released into the grass.
Tingle hid her giggles behind her hand. Josh sat picking at his peas.
Aunty Joanne frowned, ‘You did that didn’t you Tingle?’
Tingle made her best innocent little girl’s face.
Aunty Joanne smiled to herself. ‘You think you will get away
with it don’t you?’
‘Get away with what?’ Tingle replied sweetly biting the
crunchy bit of a roast potato on the end of her fork.
Tingle could not help herself, if there was mischief to be
had then Tingle had to be involved. Tingle was the type of little girl that had
messy hair, mud on her lovely dresses and had often decorated her younger
brother with lipstick on his forehead. She was nearly eight years old and
neither tall or short but my goodness she could have a proper tantrum if she
did not get her way. That was Tingle all
over - she had to have her own way and create mischief. What made it worse was
she had to make sure that she was centre of attention.
When her mother returned from freeing the spider, she stood by
the dinner table with her hands on her hips. Tingle was in trouble. She knew
she was going to be punished but it was worth it!
My BOOKS ON AMAZON.COM - https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=dp_byline_sr_ebooks_1?ie=UTF8&text=Ruby+Allure&search-alias=digital-text&field-author=Ruby+Allure&sort=relevancerank
MY BOOKS ON AUDIBLE.COM
http://www.audible.com/search/ref=a_mn_mt_ano_tseft__galileo?advsearchKeywords=Ruby+Allure&x=0&y=0
YES I AM BOOOOOKTASTIC - BECAUSE I LOVE WRITING! YIPEE!
My BOOKS ON AMAZON.COM - https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=dp_byline_sr_ebooks_1?ie=UTF8&text=Ruby+Allure&search-alias=digital-text&field-author=Ruby+Allure&sort=relevancerank
MY BOOKS ON AUDIBLE.COM
http://www.audible.com/search/ref=a_mn_mt_ano_tseft__galileo?advsearchKeywords=Ruby+Allure&x=0&y=0
Tuesday, 24 May 2016
The Hairy-Legged Mystery
The Mystery of The Hairy-legged Mystery...
Okay I admit it - when I wrote The Hairy-legged Mystery I was not expecting to publish it. I wrote it as a bit of fun to read to my friend's children. I wanted to provide a real sense of mystery for five to seven year olds... I also intended to make it a joy / amusing for my best friends to read to their little ones... They know me well and are aware I have a certain sense of humour. Of course they expected some rather random events that would make them smile. Well it seems that a book about hairy legs seems to have proven popular with the kiddies and parents - so I put it on Kindle. To make it even more exciting an audio producer has snapped it up in the last hour to produce on audio... So something is going on with it:) Oh God - imagine after writing all my other books that I get known for a hairy-legged mystery. That is hysterical in itself!
Here is the synopsis:
One afternoon, while Ben and Jenny play in the garden, Ben
notices a pair of extremely hairy legs belonging to a huge creature hiding in
their hedge. Just as they investigate they are called in for tea. From that
moment on the pair attempt to determine what the ‘creature’ is. During the
night they watch from their bedroom window and can see the outline of a hairy
shape lurking in the darkness. It had to be a monster didn’t it? What did that
monster want? The whole thing was turning into a mystery. Why had the cucumber
patch been destroyed? Had the creature taken the fruit bowl? Why would the prize
roses be beheaded? Was the creature trying to get their attention? The whole
thing had turned into a hairy legged mystery!
FIRST CHAPTER:
The Hairy-legged Mystery
By Ruby Allure
Copyright Ruby Allure 2016
All rights fall with Ruby Allure
For the ‘little dudes’ that find my random
stories amusing.
Thank you for making me give this to the
world!
CHAPTER 1
HAIRY HEDGES
What was
that wriggling in the hedge?
Ben, a
scruffy bean-pole of a boy aged nine, paused and picked up his ball. The sun
had finally come out and the smell of damp grass and earth hung in the air. He
glanced back at his little sister, Jenny, who was coated in mud. Her curly dark
hair was encrusted against her face and her green eyes looked impatient as
usual. She stood with her hands on her hips waiting because she wanted to play!
With a Shhh! sign Ben waved her over and pointed.
With a frown and a stomp she trampled over. ‘Come on!’ she said irritably. Ben
made another Shhh! sign.
“What?” Jenny whispered.
With
a confused look she followed his gaze and listened. There it was again, a
rustling, a snorting and a gulping. What was it? “Oooop, ooop…”
The brother
and sister crouched down and peered at the bracken beneath the hedge. Two very
hairy legs with dark feet that looked like long
sultanas stood in some mud. The pair glanced at each other. They had never seen anything like it before.
“What is it?” mouthed Jenny. “It’s not human,” Ben replied with a shrug. There was definitely some kind of creature close by. Had it emerged from the forest beyond their garden? Did they dare find out?
“Tea time!” called their mother.
The pair
stood up and did not know what to do. Should they tell their parents or should
they find out more?“Come on kids” said their father strolling out onto the patio. “What’s so exciting that you want to stay outside instead of have your tea?”
“Nothing!” They both replied at the same time.
Their father
studied them with a certain look on his face.
“Nothing eh?” Well then you best get in for your tea. “I made
Lasagne and your mother made fruit trifle.”
There was definitely
something there...
LINK TO THE HAIRY-LEGGED MYSTERY on AMAZON.COM
LINK To THE HAIRY LEGGED MYSTERY ON AMAZON.CO.UK
Sunday, 27 December 2015
Love Hunt II - The Love Game in Animation
Link to Ruby Allure books on Audible: http://www.audible.com/search/ref=a_hp_tseft?advsearchKeywords=Ruby+allure&filterby=field-keywords&x=0&y=0
Come on admit it - as much as we deny it - we ladies like a good love hunt.
We have tick lists, ideals, and we hunt in high-heeled packs. Of course, we're all hunting for that elusive right man who ticks every box and even has tidy nostril hair. Okay maybe not you, but you know other ladies who love the hunt.
Well, it's time for Eva and Gracie to love hunt, and their "targets" are rich men - the golden sperm. Such exciting escapades would provide the pair with entertaining discussions during their dull office hours - or so they thought. What they did not anticipate was the discovery of the "booby man"; humorous but very hard truths about wealth, themselves, power; and the RichIdiot.com phenomenon.
The question remains: can love really be hunted?
The Love Hunt has returned. Gracie is back on the dating horse after a huge fall in her first tick-list-tastic love hunt.
Her new dating adventures take her and Eva into the depths of "the love game".
In the meantime, Eva, the ultimate Russian gold digger, has come to the conclusion that her poor "village idiot boyfriend" will never be enough. He will certainly not pay off her accumulating debts. She needs a rich man, and that means rich idiot dating.
In The Love Game, Eva and Gracie travel the journey of extreme love learning. On the way, they will discover their love and lust lists, their intrinsic issues, and experience some hilarious and jaw-dropping dates in pursuit of the wealthy ideal.
All of this in the pursuit of love.
The Love Hunt II is on!
Saturday, 12 December 2015
A letter to all those that love to 'Take All the Credit'.
Dear 'Take all the Credit',
Of course you have spent the year working up to the finale by practising on various projects and discovering the best workers to take all the credit from. They are a type too: they are those who work hard and do their best and don't speak up. This may well be the 'office shafted', the 'office actual worker' or the 'office extremely efficient'.
The thing is my dear take all the credit is that people know who you are and discuss you. Many avoid working with you for the reason that they have been shafted by you in the past. Others have found new techniques to make sure people know they did the work. I personally embed my name on the whole document. However, I have found ways to make you look like a wombat. My favourite of late has been providing you with a presentation with completely incorrect data to make you appear a complete fool. I notice you have not approached me for anything since, so it worked! I guess that was because your name was emblazoned with big letters on the front of the presentation that you made to the Managing Directors. Woops!
My dear Take All the Credit is you need to be aware that I have been leading a small rebellion against all the 'take all the credits' in this world. I have seen so many decent people be trampled by your credit taking behaviour. It started small in our corporation where a number of people gave The Office Zoo book as the Secret Santa present. They highlighted the 'Office Take All the Credit' within it. I noticed you laughing all the way through the different office types until you came to the highlighted pages and glanced around the room wondering who had discovered you. We have all known it for all while and felt that you should not get away with it. We also felt you needed to know that we knew what you were up to! The thing is from shyte the beautiful flowers grow and you behaviour has united a rebellion through other offices too. You see I mentioned what my colleagues did to some of my friends and they thought it was great and did the same. I guess it could be misconstrued as some kind of bullying but taking advantage of others is also bullying too. In truth all the decent hard workers simply spoke up in a different way.
So I do want to say thank you because your office type contributed to the The Office Zoo - A Field Guide to Office Animal Observations and it would have been missing a key animal had you not demonstrated your traits so clearly. What's more, observing you and how you treat people has contributed material to the Love Hunt books, which are selling nicely. It seems people who work in offices completely identify with the antics that go on! So thank you so much for showing me all your underhand tricks for taking all the credit. Without you I would have missed out a crucial part of corporate life. So thank you and.... We all know who you are!
I have been observing your existence for a while now. You really do fascinate me because you and your type appear in most of the corporations I have worked in. You may not be aware there is a whole 'office animal' section dedicated to you. The thing is it seems that this is the time of year where you ramp up your game. I worked out why it is too. It is the end of year appraisal time and you will do whatever you need to to enable you to attain the largest bonus.
Of course you have spent the year working up to the finale by practising on various projects and discovering the best workers to take all the credit from. They are a type too: they are those who work hard and do their best and don't speak up. This may well be the 'office shafted', the 'office actual worker' or the 'office extremely efficient'.
The thing is my dear take all the credit is that people know who you are and discuss you. Many avoid working with you for the reason that they have been shafted by you in the past. Others have found new techniques to make sure people know they did the work. I personally embed my name on the whole document. However, I have found ways to make you look like a wombat. My favourite of late has been providing you with a presentation with completely incorrect data to make you appear a complete fool. I notice you have not approached me for anything since, so it worked! I guess that was because your name was emblazoned with big letters on the front of the presentation that you made to the Managing Directors. Woops!
So I do want to say thank you because your office type contributed to the The Office Zoo - A Field Guide to Office Animal Observations and it would have been missing a key animal had you not demonstrated your traits so clearly. What's more, observing you and how you treat people has contributed material to the Love Hunt books, which are selling nicely. It seems people who work in offices completely identify with the antics that go on! So thank you so much for showing me all your underhand tricks for taking all the credit. Without you I would have missed out a crucial part of corporate life. So thank you and.... We all know who you are!
To hear Ray's sample on audible: http://www.audible.com/pd/Comedy/The-Office-Zoo-Audiobook/B013H90AZU/ref=a_search_c4_1_4_srTtl?qid=1448708535&sr=1-4
If you were an office animal, what would you be? Erm...what do you mean an office animal? Well you may not know this, but there are numerous varieties of office animal migrating to the workplace each day. Every type, with its own characteristics, is awaiting discovery in The Office Zoo. All of those who enter the office jungle on a daily basis have potential for office animal categorizing adventure. Whether we like it or not, each of us falls into one of the many office zoo categories. So which one are you? Which office animals surround you?
The paperback on Amazon.com: http://amzn.com/B00H7MRV5G
I’ll try to write this without spoilers or going too long winded, but the basic gist of this review is: If you are a fan of humour with a generous helping of wit and you’ve ever worked in an office, you will like listening to this!
Boy, it’s a jungle out there. If only there was a field guide with the helpful hints, tips, and ‘general don’t get yourself eaten accidentally’ advice that could help us navigate it all…well this might just be it! Office zoo reads like a Nat Geo guide or a safari special, but on the study of a species of 'animals' that you don't need to travel outside of your city to see in their natural habitat (yay!).
The book reads from point of view of an explorer, which added to the experience and immersion into the guide. The author’s tone was to me perfect for the subject matter. It took me a moment to get used to the narrator’s voice, but once I settled in I realized it was actually a good choice. The narrator reminded me so much of animal nature guide narrators, and that definitely put my brain right in the action, and I had no trouble visualizing the office beings that the author was so helpfully describing.
Despite it being in the humour category, there were quite a number of valuable lessons presented, albeit some slightly over emphasized - the better for us to recognize and work to correct them. If only all company welcome packages included certain snippets of this with the avalanche of company policies - if not only to show that humour is not dead in the office world, but so that people would have a much more enjoyable (and more memorable) reminder to be aware of how they engage with others in the office. We spend so much of our lives in offices (unless you are an actual safari guide, professional base jumper, or something equally office-free), a guide is definitely needed.
There are some characters that were rather harshly covered, but these are made in ‘lemme tell it to you straight’ tone, so it fit with the narrative of the book. Near the end of the book a few of the character’s seemed repeated, or at least very similar to those described in the beginning of the book (granted a I listened to the whole book in one shot, so it may be better to listen to the chapters in segments).There was a weird thing with the recording on my device where all of a sudden it sounded like the narrator teleported to an echo-y tunnel right in the middle of a chapter. I got over it, but it is jarring.
I went into this book expecting to be entertained. I was. But it also got me thinking about my everyday environment in a different way. A humorous take on office culture and a well spent afternoon! I will look up the author’s other work.
Boy, it’s a jungle out there. If only there was a field guide with the helpful hints, tips, and ‘general don’t get yourself eaten accidentally’ advice that could help us navigate it all…well this might just be it! Office zoo reads like a Nat Geo guide or a safari special, but on the study of a species of 'animals' that you don't need to travel outside of your city to see in their natural habitat (yay!).
The book reads from point of view of an explorer, which added to the experience and immersion into the guide. The author’s tone was to me perfect for the subject matter. It took me a moment to get used to the narrator’s voice, but once I settled in I realized it was actually a good choice. The narrator reminded me so much of animal nature guide narrators, and that definitely put my brain right in the action, and I had no trouble visualizing the office beings that the author was so helpfully describing.
Despite it being in the humour category, there were quite a number of valuable lessons presented, albeit some slightly over emphasized - the better for us to recognize and work to correct them. If only all company welcome packages included certain snippets of this with the avalanche of company policies - if not only to show that humour is not dead in the office world, but so that people would have a much more enjoyable (and more memorable) reminder to be aware of how they engage with others in the office. We spend so much of our lives in offices (unless you are an actual safari guide, professional base jumper, or something equally office-free), a guide is definitely needed.
There are some characters that were rather harshly covered, but these are made in ‘lemme tell it to you straight’ tone, so it fit with the narrative of the book. Near the end of the book a few of the character’s seemed repeated, or at least very similar to those described in the beginning of the book (granted a I listened to the whole book in one shot, so it may be better to listen to the chapters in segments).There was a weird thing with the recording on my device where all of a sudden it sounded like the narrator teleported to an echo-y tunnel right in the middle of a chapter. I got over it, but it is jarring.
I went into this book expecting to be entertained. I was. But it also got me thinking about my everyday environment in a different way. A humorous take on office culture and a well spent afternoon! I will look up the author’s other work.
Come on admit it - as much as we deny it - we ladies like a good love hunt.
We have tick lists, ideals, and we hunt in high-heeled packs. Of course, we're all hunting for that elusive right man who ticks every box and even has tidy nostril hair. Okay maybe not you, but you know other ladies who love the hunt.
Well, it's time for Eva and Gracie to love hunt, and their "targets" are rich men - the golden sperm. Such exciting escapades would provide the pair with entertaining discussions during their dull office hours - or so they thought. What they did not anticipate was the discovery of the "booby man"; humorous but very hard truths about wealth, themselves, power; and the RichIdiot.com phenomenon.
The question remains: can love really be hunted?
The Love Hunt has returned. Gracie is back on the dating horse after a huge fall in her first tick-list-tastic love hunt.
Her new dating adventures take her and Eva into the depths of "the love game".
In the meantime, Eva, the ultimate Russian gold digger, has come to the conclusion that her poor "village idiot boyfriend" will never be enough. He will certainly not pay off her accumulating debts. She needs a rich man, and that means rich idiot dating.
In The Love Game, Eva and Gracie travel the journey of extreme love learning. On the way, they will discover their love and lust lists, their intrinsic issues, and experience some hilarious and jaw-dropping dates in pursuit of the wealthy ideal.
All of this in the pursuit of love.
The Love Hunt II is on!
Saturday, 28 November 2015
An Interview With Ray McCurdy, Audio Producer.
An Interview With Ray McCurdy, Audio Producer
Anyway fast forward to Ray's audition. I had asked for a 'voice' who could deliver a humorous dialogue and sounded like David Attenborough. Well Ray didn't just deliver, he had me crying laughing at the delivery of the Office Stinker. As soon as I heard his voice, I knew he was the 'one'. Anyway here is his interview and I hope he inspires you!
In 2014, I was the musical director, and also played one of the main characters, in a production of the musical Smoke On The Mountain. One of the starring roles was played by my friend Rich Grimshaw who has been producing audio books for several years. Rich and I talked about his audio book experiences and he encouraged me to give it a try. I've always been an avid reader and I also enjoy voices and dialects. I enjoy performing, so its a way for me to combine all these interests into one activity.
What do you look for when choosing to work on an audio book?
When choosing a book to record, I look for something that I enjoy reading first of all. Then, when possible, I like to find something that allows me to use different character voices or dialects. Sometimes, I'll find something that I think is good information, like a self-help book, that someone might listen to, but not get around to reading. So I can read it for them!
What are some of your funniest / weirdest and most awkward experiences within audio production?
The funniest times are when you read something that makes you laugh, and the laughing causes you to mess up the take somehow. Then you have to do it over, and over, and over. Sometimes the more you try to fix it, the worse it gets until you just have to come back to it later.
What was it about The Office Zoo that appealed?
As I read through the audition text for the Office Zoo, I began to recognize "types" that I had encountered myself in the various offices I've worked in. I loved Ruby's
descriptions of her observations of these wacky "animal" characters and I found myself channeling Sir David Attenborough in the Life series of nature documentaries. That's where the accent came from that I used when reading the book.
What are your favourite bits of The Office Zoo that the readers should listen out for?
My favorite is the "Office Take All The Credit". There is great satisfaction when he / she gets what they deserve! I also identify with the Freaky But Definately Geeky as (there is one sitting close to me right now!).
Readers should listen out for the insufferable "Office
Maternal / Broody / God She Wants To Get Pregnant" and the accompanying
"Office - I Did It! I Got Pregnant - I Am Going To Be A Mom!".
Sadly, everyone knows this person and Ruby says what we've all wanted to say
but didn't. That's what I like most about this book. It gives
hilarious voice to all those things we WANTED to say, but were pretending to be
polite enough not to say.
To hear Ray's sample on audible: http://www.audible.com/pd/Comedy/The-Office-Zoo-Audiobook/B013H90AZU/ref=a_search_c4_1_4_srTtl?qid=1448708535&sr=1-4
If you were an office animal, what would you be? Erm...what do you mean an office animal? Well you may not know this, but there are numerous varieties of office animal migrating to the workplace each day. Every type, with its own characteristics, is awaiting discovery in The Office Zoo. All of those who enter the office jungle on a daily basis have potential for office animal categorizing adventure. Whether we like it or not, each of us falls into one of the many office zoo categories. So which one are you? Which office animals surround you?
The paperback on Amazon.com: http://amzn.com/B00H7MRV5G
I’ll try to write this without spoilers or going too long winded, but the basic gist of this review is: If you are a fan of humour with a generous helping of wit and you’ve ever worked in an office, you will like listening to this!
Boy, it’s a jungle out there. If only there was a field guide with the helpful hints, tips, and ‘general don’t get yourself eaten accidentally’ advice that could help us navigate it all…well this might just be it! Office zoo reads like a Nat Geo guide or a safari special, but on the study of a species of 'animals' that you don't need to travel outside of your city to see in their natural habitat (yay!).
The book reads from point of view of an explorer, which added to the experience and immersion into the guide. The author’s tone was to me perfect for the subject matter. It took me a moment to get used to the narrator’s voice, but once I settled in I realized it was actually a good choice. The narrator reminded me so much of animal nature guide narrators, and that definitely put my brain right in the action, and I had no trouble visualizing the office beings that the author was so helpfully describing.
Despite it being in the humour category, there were quite a number of valuable lessons presented, albeit some slightly over emphasized - the better for us to recognize and work to correct them. If only all company welcome packages included certain snippets of this with the avalanche of company policies - if not only to show that humour is not dead in the office world, but so that people would have a much more enjoyable (and more memorable) reminder to be aware of how they engage with others in the office. We spend so much of our lives in offices (unless you are an actual safari guide, professional base jumper, or something equally office-free), a guide is definitely needed.
There are some characters that were rather harshly covered, but these are made in ‘lemme tell it to you straight’ tone, so it fit with the narrative of the book. Near the end of the book a few of the character’s seemed repeated, or at least very similar to those described in the beginning of the book (granted a I listened to the whole book in one shot, so it may be better to listen to the chapters in segments).There was a weird thing with the recording on my device where all of a sudden it sounded like the narrator teleported to an echo-y tunnel right in the middle of a chapter. I got over it, but it is jarring.
I went into this book expecting to be entertained. I was. But it also got me thinking about my everyday environment in a different way. A humorous take on office culture and a well spent afternoon! I will look up the author’s other work.
Boy, it’s a jungle out there. If only there was a field guide with the helpful hints, tips, and ‘general don’t get yourself eaten accidentally’ advice that could help us navigate it all…well this might just be it! Office zoo reads like a Nat Geo guide or a safari special, but on the study of a species of 'animals' that you don't need to travel outside of your city to see in their natural habitat (yay!).
The book reads from point of view of an explorer, which added to the experience and immersion into the guide. The author’s tone was to me perfect for the subject matter. It took me a moment to get used to the narrator’s voice, but once I settled in I realized it was actually a good choice. The narrator reminded me so much of animal nature guide narrators, and that definitely put my brain right in the action, and I had no trouble visualizing the office beings that the author was so helpfully describing.
Despite it being in the humour category, there were quite a number of valuable lessons presented, albeit some slightly over emphasized - the better for us to recognize and work to correct them. If only all company welcome packages included certain snippets of this with the avalanche of company policies - if not only to show that humour is not dead in the office world, but so that people would have a much more enjoyable (and more memorable) reminder to be aware of how they engage with others in the office. We spend so much of our lives in offices (unless you are an actual safari guide, professional base jumper, or something equally office-free), a guide is definitely needed.
There are some characters that were rather harshly covered, but these are made in ‘lemme tell it to you straight’ tone, so it fit with the narrative of the book. Near the end of the book a few of the character’s seemed repeated, or at least very similar to those described in the beginning of the book (granted a I listened to the whole book in one shot, so it may be better to listen to the chapters in segments).There was a weird thing with the recording on my device where all of a sudden it sounded like the narrator teleported to an echo-y tunnel right in the middle of a chapter. I got over it, but it is jarring.
I went into this book expecting to be entertained. I was. But it also got me thinking about my everyday environment in a different way. A humorous take on office culture and a well spent afternoon! I will look up the author’s other work.
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