Calibre Audio celebrates the contribution of its volunteers

Seven Calibre volunteers being presented with awards

"Calibre Audio is very passionate about being able to offer our free audiobooks to everyone who needs them and this would be impossible without our volunteers," said a spokesperson.

Calibre Audio, the nationwide charity that provides  free audiobooks for the print disabled, has marked the valuable contribution of its many volunteers with a thank you Garden Party at its offices near Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire recently.

Almost100 volunteer audiobook narrators, checkers and library staff from Buckinghamshire and across the country joined together, with many receiving awards for long service ranging from five years to in excess of 25 years. 

As well as enjoying a  buffet lunch, the volunteers heard an inspiring speech from renowned children’s Author, Bali Rai, who spoke of his passion for working with children who are reluctant to read and the importance of making books accessible for all. 

Karen Napier MBE, the CEO of The Reading Agency then outlined how audiobooks are uniquely accessible and are crucial to ensuring everyone has the chance to enjoy the health and wellbeing benefits that research shows are provided by reading.

The event also gave the charity the opportunity to recognise the particular contributions of some volunteers who were retiring, including Grace from Prestwood who was presented with a special lifetime award.

Grace is reluctantly hanging up her microphone at the age of 88 after volunteering as an audiobook narrator for 40 years. During this time, she recorded over 270 audiobooks which have been enjoyed by thousands of Calibre members with visual impairment, dyslexia and a range of other physical and neurological conditions.

Talking of her many years of volunteering, Grace said: “I've found my volunteering role to be hugely rewarding. All the staff at Calibre are always helpful, patient and a pleasure to deal with. 

"I've genuinely loved everything about being a volunteer narrator and would certainly encourage other people with good vocal skills to consider putting themselves forward. Bringing a book to life for someone who can’t do it for themselves really gives you a very special glow!”

Calibre Audio is a nationwide charity with a rapidly growing collection of over 14,000 audiobooks which are available totally free of charge to anyone who finds it difficult to read print. 

This could be because of a visual impairment, a physical or neurological condition, long COVID, or a learning difficulty like dyslexia. 

Calibre members can access the books via download or streaming or they can be posted to members’ homes on a USB stick.

Anthony Kemp, Calibre Audio's CEO said: “We 're thrilled to offer a massive thank you to our volunteers. 

"It's only through their skills and generosity that we’ve been able to continue to grow our collection of audiobooks so rapidly. We are passionate about being able to offer our free audiobooks to everyone who has need of them and this would be impossible without our volunteers.”

The charity is currently seeking out more volunteers to join its team. Ranging from narrators with voice skills, to those who love books and would like to run a book group for members and even people to help in the garden, as  there are a variety of different roles. 

Visit www.calibreaudio.org/support/volunteering to learn more.

(Picture of Seven Calibre volunteers being presented with awards by Karen Napier & Richard Balkwill, Calibre Chair of Trustees. Image courtesy of Calibre Audio) 

Best-selling author Matt Rogers reveals action thriller twist in new podcast

Matt Rogers

In a thrilling development, self-published author Matt Rogers is launching a new podcast that aims to probe a surprising plot twist in his own narrative.

At 24 years of age, Matt, a best-selling author, has forged an impressive and enviable burgeoning career: selling in excess of 1,000,000 copies of his 31 novels worldwide in just six years.

Matt’s ability to craft gripping action thrillers in rapid succession propelled him into the league of Australia’s top, best-selling authors. King and Slater, Jason King, Will Slater and Dante Jacoby are among the series for which Matt is best known by his loyal readers.

“I wanted to blur the lines of self-improvement and fiction,” explains Matt. “And to do that, I have started to embed life lessons within my action thriller novels.”

“Reading is more accessible than some think; it can be a pastime from which readers can be inspired and take away learning to apply in their own lives.”

“I believe fiction can teach us all lessons and I wanted to portray that in a book and then dive deeper into those lessons.”

Matt’s new podcast, Heroic Traits: A Best-Selling Author’s Guide, will explore themes of revelation and personal discovery via the lens of fictional storytelling.

Joined by host Billy Bentley, Matt discusses the confronting nature of the self-publishing industry, crafting an engaging protagonist, and how writers can learn from their critics to become successful authors.

During the first episode, Matt reveals how he blurred the lines between self-improvement and fiction in his new Dante Jacoby series. He speaks with Billy about his protagonist’s journey and how these lessons have connected with his own life and those of his readers.

Matt’s lifelong passion for writing turned from a hobby into a career when he released his first book at the age of 18.

“I wrote after school pretty much every day since primary school. So I had twelve years of writing experience before I produced my first self-published book. And I intend to write for as long as I live, even if there isn’t an audience!”

Matt draws inspiration for his books from the creative content he continuously and often subconsciously consumes.

“I voraciously read books, watch movies and TV shows which all get jumbled up in my head and allow me to come up with plots and characters on the fly,” he says.

The release date of Episode 1 is October 4th 2022

podcast@mattrogersbooks.com

mattrogersbooks.com

Martin Martin and the Death Express

Martin Martin and the Death Express is a new satirical action thriller by Sebastian Sullivan.

The book’s hero is Martin Martin, a mild-mannered youthful train manager who, after accidentally killing a passenger (as happens, sometimes!) finds himself involved in a Faustian pact with railway baron Silas March and his right-hand man, the murderous Mr Draconian. Draconian runs the Special Collections Unit, a paramilitary division of ultra-violent ex-ticket inspectors.

March became unaware that it is impossible for him to afford his franchise repayments to the government so formulated the idea to murder fare dodgers and other undesirable passengers, then stripping their funds via falsified wills and moving the money into a fake children’s charity.

Along the way, Martin blackmails a government minister, drowns a gangster in the toilet on a train and  narrowly evades death when a faded TV star tries to hurl him from a roof. 

Eventually Martin manages to trigger an international incident, thus making him a target for the world's espionage services.

The author, Sebastian Sullivan, is a train guard and has spent nearly two decades working in a variety of roles on Britain’s railways. 

Regular passengers on the Midland Mainline M1 corridor route between Sheffield and London St Pancras knew him affectionately as “Sebastian the train manager”, a reputation built on his witty onboard announcements warning passengers about “nefarious and downright shady behaviour” and advising them not to go to work but to go the pub instead. This has given him something of a cult following on social media. 

“The book is a love letter to staying up late as a kid with my older siblings and watching things on TV I shouldn’t have,” says the author from his Nottingham home.

“It nods to the world of Ian Fleming and John Le Carre, but it also has a violent satirical element reminiscent of writers like Chuck Palahniuk and Irvine Welsh. However, it’s forged in the great tradition of English satirists like Douglas Adams, Jasper Fforde and Tom Sharpe. 

The character of Martin Martin is that of a wide-eyed innocent surrounded by corruption and turpitude on all sides. I was inspired by the central characters in Ealing comedies like I’m Alright Jack and The Man in the White Suit as well as Evelyn Waugh’s Paul Pennyfeather. 

"To me there is something very English about the book. In addition, with the current cost of living crisis and currency crashes upon us, the book is very much about how we live now and our government’s paralysis to protect us from predatory capitalism.”

ISBN: 9781739661007

(paperback)

ISBN: 9781739661014

(E-PUB)

www.books2read.com/deathexpress

It's available on Amazon and via your local bookshops such as Waterstones and Foyles.

It looks to be an ideal Christmas gift for those who have a satirical sense of humour. 

Stepping Into My Shoes

Stepping Into My Shoes is an truly amazing autobiographical book by businesswoman, entrepreneur and business coach by Dr Catherine A Baudino.

I had heard of Catherine Baudino several years ago and how she had begun working for Robert Maxwell in 1987 after an appearance on what was a real life precursor of The Apprentice.

But when she arrived for her first day of employment with Maxwell she found that the job didn't, really, exist. Not only that she didn't have a desk or even a phone.

It was interesting to read this story in her own words and to learn that rather than running away, Catherine faced down Maxwell, scrounged up a desk a phone and an office and also created a role for herself within the Maxwell Corporation.

Catherine is honest about growing up in a dysfunctional French family in London. 

However, Catherine was able to learn from her parents, she learned how to be both rebellious and also at the same time to learn to conform.

She describes something that I, personally, know a good deal about, unfortunately,  which is Imposter Syndrome. 

Catherine points out that "Imposter Syndrome is a collection of feelings of inadequacy, despite evidence of success." 

You think you are a fraud, that eventually other people will find out what a failure you really are. 

Obviously, you'll not want to go for that promotion because, surely, if you obtain the promotion everyone will soon see that you cannot possibly succeed in it. So don't bother to apply for it.

Catherine points out various methods and tools that you can use to rid yourself of the ridiculous weight of the monster of Imposter Syndrome. 

Catherine is also a strong believer in network marketing. However, she points out that many networking methods are not too useful and might even be counterproductive. Anyone who reads this book will be able to spot where they might be going wrong with their networking efforts. I know I did! Catherine points out the link between connecting v networking.

Catherine also tells readers how they can say yes and no, how to set boundaries, the role of humour in business and business negotiations, which Catherine points out can be very important.

Catherine shares some very interesting lessons that she learned the hard way and shares with you, her readers.

Such as you always have a choice that you could make, and take the chance to change. How to never give up, beliefs that you have which might limit what you can do, why you should ask and how dispense with the fear of asking. 

How to learn how to ask for help, how to understand what non-verbal communications are and how to watch and listen.

She points out that people, women especially, need to dress for success, even at times when modern office dress codes are changing. (I am thinking of a managing director who wears a suit jacket with a pair of designer jeans!)   

You'll learn how to learn that being confidant is a good thing, but which should not be confused with arrogance.

What men and women can learn from each other, time management, but with a special Catherine twist on the concept of time management. 

She also gives detailed advise on how lone ladies can travel in safety, how to cope with poor heath and threats of mortality.

It's a stunning book and is of great benefit for women and men who are in business.

And what's the thing about Catherine and shoes? Read the book and learn all about that!

It is published by Baudino and Company at £21.99 in hardback.

The ISBN details are:-

ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1399927612

ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1399927611

It's available at a discount at Catherine's website https://drcatherinecoaching.com/book.

Diana Remembering the Princess

Diana Remembering the Princess is a book that is a must purchase publication for those who are fascinated by Princess Diana.

It's 25 years on from the tragic event that cost Diana her life and this book by Inspector Ken Wharfe MVO and Ros Coward with Linda Watson-Brown is a remarkable work.

Inspector Wharfe worked very closely with Diana, Princess of Wales because he was her personal protection officer who was personally responsible for the round-the-clock security both within the UK and also abroad for six years from 1978 until 1993.

His own memoir Diana; Closely Guarded Secret was a smash bestseller when it was first published and also subsequently when it was re-published in an updated and revised edition in 2016.

Ros Coward is a journalist and author of many popular books on a wide variety of topics. She was specially selected by the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fund and the estate to write Diana: The Portrait, which was published in 2004 and consisted of a staggering 400+ interviews all with people who knew Diana well.

This book paints a picture of a woman who was dedicated to her charity work, who felt betrayed and let down by the entourage who surrounded her husband Prince Charles.

However, the book also reveals a somewhat capricious, stubborn and very wilful woman who would often do whatever she wanted and damn the consequences. Including deliberately goading and upsetting Prince William whilst he was in goal for his school football game. Even though Wharfe had advised against this when she had told him what she planned to do.

Her behaviour, he noted was becoming more and more erratic and a danger to herself. And he took the logical decision to cease working as her protection officer.

He points out that she took the decision to totally withdraw from having any official police security cover within weeks of that time. A flawed decision that many, including Wharfe, believe ultimately brought about her own death.

The Diana we see in this book is an interesting and intriguing person who was capable of great kindness, for example, in regards to her charity work, but who was also capable of acts of great cruelty, especially when that was totally uncalled for and when it really mattered on a personal and family context. What mother, for example, would deliberately try to tease and upset her own child in front of his fellow team members and schoolfriends whilst he was taking part in a football game?

The fact that Diana's name is linked to "The Diana Princess of Wales Anti-bullying Awards" yet she was seen, in public, actually bullying her own son and witnessed doing so by her police personal protection officer (who criticised her to her face for doing so) is something of a conundrum. But there were many conundrums about Diana.

If you want to learn more about Diana, Princess of Wales this book, published by Bonnier Books (www.bonnierbooks.co.uk) at £20 in hardback, this book is an ideal book for you. 

However, you might learn some things that you'd rather not know. But that's entirely up to you!

 

How to Live When You Could be Dead

How to Live When You Could be Dead is an amazing and very moving book by Deborah James.

You should, Deborah asserts, live your life as if you d not have a tomorrow. That you should live your life today, the way you want to live it.

Deborah points out in her book that she was alive when she should not have been. Should have been dead, in fact.

She refers to the film/movie Sliding Doors, pointing out that in another movie she missed the sliding door and "departed this wonderous life long ago."

When she was 35 years of age Deborah was stunned by a diagnosis of an incurable bowel cancer. She was given less than an 8% chance of making five years. 

Five years later she realised that her only logical option was to live "in the now" and to value each day of her life as it happened.

Deborah tells her story in this remarkable book, how she decided to blog about her experiences using the Instagram social media platform using the sobriquet of @bowelbabe.

As a result she became a widely read and popular columnist, the author of F*** You, Cancer and a much listened to podcast broadcaster and presenter, which included the chart-topper You, Me and the Big C. 

This year Deborah was awarded a Damehood in recognition of her amazing fundraising for cancer charities and also for her tireless campaigning for bowel cancer awareness.

The book is a record of how all this was from Deborah's own point of view. The high points, the low points, moments of hope, bleaker moments and how she and her family coped and thrived amidst the diagnosis of untreatable bowel cancer and the many people and new friends she met on her journey.

Deborah died on 28 June 2022.

The book is published by Vermilion, which is an imprint of Ebury Publishing at £14.99 in hardback. 

Ebury has pledged to pay £3.00 from the sale of the book in the UK to the Bowelbabe Fund for Cancer Research UK.

This book belongs with every nurse, GP or specialist who interacts with people with cancer and their family members. It should be required reading for them. And for people with cancer and their family members, too.

I would like to issue a special request. Please share this blog post review with all your friends and your followers on social media accounts. Thank you. 

Jerusalem by moonlight

Jerusalem by moonlight is a novel from Roger Butters.

He takes an alternative look of the first ever Easter, from the perspective of the four Gospel writers.

It's the year 30AD and in Judea, the Roman Prefect, Pontius Pilate is worried. He is finding controlling the restless and potentially rebellious populous of the area he is charged with governing.

It's a terribly volatile location, freedom fighters (or terrorists as the Romans viewed them) are attempting to expel the Romans from Judea. 

Knife-wielding murderers are roaming the city during moonlit nights slaughtering those they view, rightly or wrongly, fellow citizens who are traitors or sympathetic in some way to the occupying Roman forces.

It's soon to be the feast of Passover. A time when feelings of Jewish nationhood and religious feelings are expected to be at their highest for years.

There's one man who could be a force for good or bad. The religious leader from Nazareth, Joshua bar-Josef. 

As a man who is preaching love, the forgiveness of sin and the soon-to-be overthrow of all temporal powers, what is it that the Jewish religious leaders find so problematic about him?

This is an interesting and well-written examination of that first Easter.

It's published by Troubador at £10.99.