Audio Recording St. George

I had the pleasure of doing some Quirky Comedy with January Jones on her successful radio show.  In addition to Blog Talk Radio, January Jones Sharing Success Stories can also be heard on iHeart Radio.  Give it a listen: http://www.iheart.com/show/53-January-Jones-Sharing-Succ/?episode_id=27414045

Have you ever wondered why people kiss under the mistletoe?  First and foremost, people do it because they can! And why not? Who couldn't use a good smack-a-roo to celebrate the season? The Greeks were on to this idea back in the days when they used to celebrate Saturnalia and then later as part of some primitive marriage rites. The thinking was that mistletoe might have the power to bestow fertility. In Scandinavia, mistletoe was considered a plant of peace, underwhich enemies could declare a truce or bickering spouses could kiss and make-up. Either way, these people had more great ideas than just Swedish Fish and Ikea, although they rank right up there. The English kicked it up a notch in the 18 th century, creating a kissing ball made up of mistletoe, evergreens, ribbons and ornaments. This created what I can only imagine was truly a sticky wicket. If a woman dared to stand under the ball, she couldn't refuse to be kissed, no matter what toad might r

Bert Miller's Rescue Kitty joins me in wishing you a warm holiday season!

Today I have the pleasure of sharing a little information about Alison Perry, the author of the Hell's Belles series of stories.  I listened to the series as an audiobook and was curious about some of the formatting choices for presenting this material.  I applaud Alison for trying something different.  One of the great things about being an "indie" author is that you have more choice in how to deliver stories to readers and listeners.  I hope you enjoy learning more about Alison Perry and the Hell's Belles series, available for sale on Amazon and Audible.com http://www.amazon.com/Alison-Perry/e/B00YYK0GC4 Your first three audiobooks average around two hours with an on-going plot. Why did you choose to go this route as opposed to having one longer audiobook? Honestly, if I could go back I would probably bundle them into one audiobook. I was just hoping to offer my readers another way to hear the story of Hell's Belles. I do like that they're s

For Great Christmas Gifts, Visit the Quirky Audio Books Website http://www.quirkyaudiobooks.com

Did you ever wonder what happened to little Danny Torrance after he survived a harrowing ordeal at the Overlook Hotel in Stephen King's bestselling novel, The Shining ? Thankfully, King saw fit to tell us the rest of the story in a book called Doctor Sleep . http://www.amazon.com/Doctor-Sleep-Stephen-King/dp/1451698852/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1447073381&sr=1-1&keywords=dr.+sleep The story opens on a sad note, revealing that Torrence is being plagued by a very ordinary demon: alcoholism. After a series of tragic events, Torrence finds himself in a small town in New Hampshire where he eventually gets sober. It's about this time that Torrence notices a cosmic connection with a young girl named Abra Stone. Torrence and Stone discover each other through some sort of ESP. Torrence discovers that Stone is being hunted by a group called the True Knot which murders children and uses their “essence” as fuel for life. The conflict eventuall

I don't read a lot of non-fiction, but books by Jon Krakauer are an exception. That's because Krakauer is an expert on making true stories read like a novel. Like many of Krakauer's books, I could hardly put down Into the Wild http://www.amazon.com/Into-Wild-Jon-Krakauer/dp/0385486804 I am not a mountaineer, but I was fascinated by Krakauer's account of Chris McCandless, a well-educated young man who walked into the wilderness near Mt. McKinley and never returned. McCandless viewed himself as a modern day aesthetic, eschewing all worldly possessions as he set out to live off the land http://www.christophermccandless.info Sadly, McCandless did not survive his ordeal in the harsh Alaska wilderness, likely dying of starvation. Apparently, McCandless was hoping to find himself by loosing himself in nature. Krakauer did a magnificent job of chronicling the McCandless's misadventures. Using writings left behind in the abandoned bus McCandless called h

November 14 & 15 Dinner, Talk & Fire Ceremony - Saturday, November 14 from 5-9 pm Mountain Time in Padre Canyon Suite - What Do You Crave & What’s Holding You Back – Interactive Talk Over Dinner in Our Private Suite (Soup, Caesar Salad, Fresh Bread, Dessert & Coffee) - Release and Renew Fire Ceremony – Wood fire outdoors under the desert sky - Cost - $75 Pink Box Playtime - Sunday, November 15 from 1-5 pm Mountain Time in Padre Canyon Suite -Tap into your creativity and relax for some good fun. You will be given a blank Pink Box and provided with all varieties of embellishments. As we listen to great music and conversation, we can have a couple of hours to really get the creative juices going. - As the boxes set, we will go for a 30-minute walk through the lava rock and desert. When we return to our Suite, we will enjoy snacks and beverages as we share our Pink Box creations and take them home to help us savor an

If you're looking to set the tone for Halloween season, Haunting Jordan by P.J. Alderman is a good place to start http://www.amazon.com/Haunting-Jordan-Port-Chatham-Mystery-ebook/dp/B002PXFYO2/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1443391250&sr=11&keywords=haunting+jordan+by+p.j.+alderman Haunting Jordan has all the juicy elements for a intriguing Halloween read: a couple of unsolved murder mysteries, a spooky Victorian house, and several ghosts looking for closure. The story is part of the Port Chatham Mystery Series which takes place in the Pacific Northwest http://www.pjalderman.com/port-chatham-mysteries.html Besides all the spooky elements, Haunting Jordan is a really good “who done it.” The story is about a modern day woman named Jordan Marsh who moves to the town of Port Chatham to escape the pressure of being accused in the murder of her husband. Hoping to distract herself from the case, Jordan tries to focus her attention on restoring an o

When my Aunt Monica gave Some Dead Genius by Lenny Kleinfeld as a Christmas gift, I didn't even have to read the back of the book to know I would like it. Monica has spent most of her life working in theatre, film and other artistic endeavors and, as a result, has made it her business to connect with equally creative people. Needless to say, I had a positive bias when it came to this particular novel. http://www.amazon.com/Some-Dead-Genius-Lenny-Kleinfeld/dp/1496034368/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1442671786&sr=1-1&keywords=some+dead+genius What did I like about Some Dead Genius ? For starters, the humor. I read a lot of “who done its,” but most of them are dead serious. Criminals, (including fictitious ones), are notoriously stupid, so I'm confused as to why many authors ignore this folly. Not so with the characters who live in the pages of Some Dead Genius . Kleinfeld's plot involves desperate artists, loan sharks trying to make

A Note from Adele Park:  Today I have the opportunity to let my blog readers know about a great new book called The Bacchae -- A Myth ReTold by Christy Potter.  This exciting new novel promises adventure and intrigue.  I would encourage everyone to give it a look. As an influential newspaper publisher in post-World War II New York, Zachary Benton seems infallible. But when his beautiful and icy wife, Hanna, discovers he’s been having an affair with Sarah, his Pulitzer prize-winning reporter, and that the girl is pregnant, Zachary realizes just how much he has to lose. Zachary’s once-charmed life becomes a hellscape as he attempts to keep Sarah safe from the increasingly frightening Hanna, while dealing with his paper’s escalating coverage of the war in Vietnam. Sarah, now visibly pregnant and hiding in a small town in Oklahoma, is unable to stay away from the newspaper business and her instincts for investigative reporting turn up far more than she expected. As t

If art, music and entertainment is your thing, you won't want miss the AME Radio Show with host Jason Dowd.  The show is a wonderful platform for artistic types who are looking for a way to showcase their talents.  I had the privilege of being a guest on the show and found Jason to be a welcoming and interesting interviewer  http://theamemagazine.com/radio/2015/07/09/adele-park/#comments In addition to hosting a radio show, Dowd also has a very impressive online magazine that covers everything from modeling to cooking to photography http://theamemagazine.com/magazine/ As if all that isn't enough, Dowd also hosts an online television show called AME Television http://theamemagazine.com/tv/ If you have a story idea or want to share your art with others, you can connect with Dowd through his website http://theamemagazine.com/radio/contact/

I had mixed feelings about Mind Magic – Techniques for Transforming Your Life by Marta Hiatt. http://www.selfgrowth.com/experts/marta_hiatt.html I truly appreciated Hiatt's reminders about the important role the subconscious mind plays in our lives. In the simplest of terms, our innermost thoughts are reflected in our conscious daily lives. When we subconsciously think negative thoughts, this is reflected in our “outer” lives. Hiatt does an excellent job in explaining how the subconscious mind affects they way we feel. The great news is, by changing our subconscious thoughts, we can how we think on a conscious level. To accomplish this, Hiatt outlines a plan for self-hypnosis. I'm was skeptical about about the whole self-hypnosis thing. Nonetheless, I was willing to give it a try. Hiatt's instructions were simple enough to follow, mostly involving a lot of deep relaxation techniques. I doubt I ever succeeded in attaining self-hypn

A Note from Adele Park:  Rick Mizuno and Radhaa Nilia have a great story idea they would like to bring to the silver screen.  The name of their screenplay is "Can You Still Love Me."  Here is a synopsis of the story and ways you can help Rick and Radhaa make this film a reality. Can You Still Love Me a provocative love story. Does the past matter? Two lovers struggle with the ugly truth as secrets of the past threaten to tear them apart. Genre: Drama/Romance – Synopsis – Geoff and Nicole are in love celebrating their 1st year of dating. Everything is perfect until Nicole’s phone rings, but she won’t answer it. Moments pass, phone rings again and again until Geoff answers the phone. Immediately the caller is irate, demands to talk to Nikki (Nicole). Geoff demands answers but the call abruptly ends. This ignites a firestorm of questions from Geoff. Nicole breaks and reveals the caller was a pimp. Geoff becomes mean and nasty; Nicole reacts i

If you're in the mood for a thrilling “who done it,” I would highly recommend Dark Places by Gillian Flynn http://gillian-flynn.com/dark-places/ The story is about the murders of the Day Family who were brutally slayed in their Kansas home. Seven year old Libby Day escaped the massacre which her 14 year old brother, Ben, was convicted of doing. The action takes place 25 years later when Libby begins to question whether her testimony against her brother was really true. In need of money, Libby joins up with a “kill group” interested in the murder. Libby's quest to arrive at the truth while earning some money on the side has her re-visiting some very dislikable characters including her own father. Everyone involved in the story has a secret past, leaving the reader to suspect each one of the murders. This is what makes the story so compelling. Dark Places is equally as thrilling as with Flynn's best selling novel, Gon

Make a splash this summer by listening to Gadzooks! A Comically Quirky Audio Book by Adele Park.  Find out what Reviewer Francine Zane has to say about this wacky production in her review for Readers' Favorite Book Reviews and Award Contest: https://readersfavorite.com/book-review/gadzooks Want to try before your buy?  Listen to a sample of Gadzooks!  http://tinyurl.com/GadzooksAudiobook You can also take a peek into Quirky Polygamist Country on our YouTube Channel: http://tinyurl.com/AdeleYouTube

Have you always wanted a cat but not the mess that comes with cat hair and litter boxes?  If so, Invizicat has just the right pet for you.  Founded by Utah resident, Tyler Street, Invizicat provides loving pets to those who need it most  http://www.invizicat.com/ Each Invizicat comes with its own certificate of authenticity along with a colorful collar and walker which is sure to make a statement.  Where else can you purchase and maintain a loving pet for just $10?   http://www.invizicat.com/store/c2/Invizicats.html Bert Miller is a lifetime cat lover who recently had to bid farewell to Muffin, her cat of 16 years.  Bert found herself in need of a pet, but also wanted the freedom to travel.  That's where Invizicat came in handy.   Bert's friends purchased an Invizicat for her which she found to be the perfect solution to her pet dilemma.   While Bert's Invizicat has found a loving home, there is one more issue:  Bert's pet needs a name!  If you have any sugges

Have you ever wondered if a certain book or audio book is right for you?  Amie's Book Review Blog is here to help  https://amiesbookreviews.wordpress.com/ Amie is a Canadian book reviewer, editor and proof-reader.  I'm not sure where she finds time to listen to or read so many works, but her blog is loaded with reviews.  These reviews are also posted on Goodreads, Audible.com, NetGalley, Amazon and Amazon.ca   http://www.audible.com/pd/Fiction/Yikes-Audiobook/B009G5BELE/ref=a_search_c4_1_1_srImg_s?qid=1438000099&sr=1-1 Amie recently reviewed Yikes! Another Quirky Audio Book.  If you'd like to read her take on this kooky project click here:   https://amiesbookreviews.wordpress.com/2015/06/ Good news for writers:  Amie is currently accepting submissions.  She reads both fiction and non-fiction.  Amie's favorite author is JRR Tolkein, so if anyone is writing in this genre will likely find a friendly home with Amie's Book Review Blog.

Carl Hiaasen is proof that you can be a hysterically funny satirist for adults and smoothly cross over to Young Adult fiction. I've read all of Hiaasen's YA books, and they all rock! I recently completed reading Chomp , which I must say is a romp! http://www.amazon.com/Chomp-Carl-Hiaasen/dp/0375868275/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1437488894&sr=1-1&keywords=chomp+by+carl+hiaasen Chomp is an outlandish yarn about a young boy named Wahoo who helps his father wrangle wild animals for “reality TV.” The story opens by explaining to the reader that Wahoo's father is medically impaired as a result of being hit over the head with a dead iguana. From that point, things just get crazy. In my humble opinion, Hiaasen is writing the kinds of books that young people should be reading – ones that have a good message while also being entertaining. In Hiaasen's books, the undercurrent involves protecting the environment and the species

While most people spent the July Forth weekend grilling hotdogs and swilling brewskies, Quirky Video Set Designer Tori Park was busy wrapping Christmas presents and sorting through Halloween costumes.  The temperatures were literally "hotter than the 4th of July," but that didn't deter Tori from rummaging through her storage unit in search of the perfect items for our July 10-11 video shoot. Over the next couple of days the Quirky Video Cast will celebrate all the upcoming holidays including Thanksgiving, Halloween and New Years. Our Quirky Video Cast has increased to include two polygamist families who will engage in a series of kooky activities to promote the Holiday Season.  Hats off to Michael Park, Executive Producer, for helping coordinate what promises to be a fun but hectic shoot. In honor of Michael's interest in the Game of Thrones TV program, we decided to do our own version -- Quirky Polygamist Style, of course!   You'

With as many self-empowerment books as I read or listen to as an audiobook, it's a wonder it took so long for me to discover Tony Robbins. Now that I've finally arrived, I'm a huge fan! I recently listened to The Power to Shape Your Destiny narrated by Robbins and released as a Nightengale-Conant Production http://www.amazon.com/Power-Shape-Your-Destiny-Strategies/dp/1442352655/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1436013654&sr=1-1&keywords=the+power+to+shape+your+destiny The Power to Shape Your Destiny is a bit of a re-hash of Robbin's work called Unleash the Power Within http://www.amazon.com/Unleash-Power-Within-Personal-Transform/dp/1442352663/ref=pd_bxgy_14_img_y But it was well worth it for me. I'm always up for a refresher course – sometimes I need to hear the same thing over and over before it sinks in. What really stood out to me in this latest audiobook was the idea that while trying to achieve a goal, most humans tend to j

I'll start my rating of The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins with my GoodReads Points: Five Stars! https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4673038.Adele_Park I don't mean to gush, but The Girl on the Train was one of the best audiobooks I've had the pleasure of listening to lately http://www.amazon.com/Girl-Train-Paula-Hawkins/dp/1594633665/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1434390718&sr=1-1&keywords=the+girl+on+the+train What was so great about it? For starters, the author, Paula Hawkins, really knows how to spin an intriguing “Who done it” http://paulahawkinsbooks.com/ The Girl on the Train tells the story of Rachel, a woman who has been abandoned by her husband for another woman.  Rachel's life is such a mess that she turns to alcohol for comfort.  Each day as Rachel commutes to London, she imagines the life of a couple she sees from the train.  Later, Rachel discovers the woman she has been watching has been murdered.  The

Several of my actors and camera crew members recently submitted a film called "I Need a Vacation" in the St. George Summer Guerilla Festival.  To no one's surprise, the project took home the Audience Selection honors.  Congratulations to all who participated, especially Kent Harrison Hayes and Garry Morris who wrote the film.   "I Need a Vacation" was filmed by Ned Cordery, Photographer Extraordinaire.  Ned's wife, Mary, was tapped for one of the choice roles in the video, which will be a good warm up for all the scenes I've scheduled her to appear in for my upcoming shoot. If you need a vacation, or just a good laugh, check out this Guerilla Festival Winner: https://vimeo.com/130106863

Dorothy Engelman, Adele Park and Ned Cordery The only thing I like better than editing audio is editing audio and video together. Friends and Facebook companions are familiar with my kooky ads to promote the Quirky Audio Book Series.  The videos may look simple, but there is actually a lot of time and coordination that goes into making them.   I'm currently in the planning stages for a whole new slew of videos set to launch in July.  I'm very fortunate in that I haven't yet managed to scare off Ned Cordery, my ACE PHOTOGRAPHER.  I surely drive Ned bonkers with my plans that seem to get bigger and more elaborate with every shoot.   Dorothy Engelman is new to Straight to Audio Productions, stepping in to serve as the Director for our upcoming shoot.  Dorothy is one of those multi-talented sorts who gets along well with everyone.  In the spirit craziness, Dorothy even recruited her husband, Gary, to work in a couple of scenes.   Top Row:  Jessica, Treys