Simply Audiobooks Inc.

Simply Audiobooks’ 25 Days of Christmas is back and it’s bigger and better than ever.

What: Get a new deal every day for 25 straight days. Each deal lasts for only 24 hours.  Get free shipping, free downloads, save up to 25% off your entire purchase, and get huge savings on Twilight, Harry Potter, James Patterson, Dan Brown, and MORE.

When: Thursday, November 19th, 2009  to Sunday, December 13th, 2009

Where: Right here on your Simply Audiobooks homepage

Each deal starts at noon EST and will end at 11:59 a.m. EST the following day when the next day’s offer will be revealed.

The Catch? - We’re not telling you what is being offered when. Check back each day to see what’s going on.

See The Elf? - See a little elf peeking his head out the factory windows? Click on him to get a sneak peek of what’s coming up.

Nicholas Sparks, bestselling author of The Notebook, and  Nights in Rodanthe, brings us The Last Song on September 8th.

Seventeen year-old Veronica “Ronnie” Miller’s life was turned upside-down when her parents divorced and her father moved from NYC to Wilmington, North Carolina. Three years later, her mother decides it would be in everyone’s best interest if she spent the summer in Wilmington with him. Ronnie’s father, a former concert pianist and teacher, is living a quiet life in the beach town, immersed in creating a work of art that will become the centerpiece of a local church. The tale that unfolds is an unforgettable story about love in its myriad forms – first love, the love between parents and children – that demonstrates, as only a Nicholas Sparks novel can, the many ways that deeply felt relationships can break our hearts… and heal them.

(Random fact: Miley Cyrus chose the name Ronnie for the main character.)

On September 15th, Dan Brown releases his highly anticipated follow up to Angels & Demons, and The Da Vinci Code, The Lost Symbol. Brown’s long time editor says “nothing ever is as it first appears in a Dan Brown novel. This book’s narrative takes place in a twelve-hour period, and from the first page, Dan’s readers will feel the thrill of discovery as they follow Robert Langdon through a masterful and unexpected new landscape. The Lost Symbol is full of surprises.”

On September 28th James Patterson takes a slight detour from his usual mystery thrillers with the non-fiction thriller The Murder of King Tut: The Plot to Kill the Child King.

Egyptologists have long presumed that the young king died of disease, or an accident. In The Murder of King Tut, James Patterson and Martin Dugard chronicle their epic quest to find out what happened to the boy-king. They comb through the evidence - X-rays, Carter’s files, forensic clues - and scavenge for overlooked data to piece together the details of his life and death. The result is a true crime tale of intrigue, betrayal, and usurpation that presents a compelling case that King Tut’s death was anything but natural.

Add these to your rental shelf today, and check out more hot upcoming titles here.

Do you remember all those books you had to read back in school? You know, books like, Romeo and Juliet, The Crucible, and To Kill A Mockingbird– the ones that inevitably pop up on high school reading lists each year. Why not test your knowledge with our Simply Audiobooks trivia game!

This isn’t your average pop quiz. We’re giving away 15 Day Free Trials of our popular 2-at-a-Time rental plans for all our participants. AND, one lucky participant will win their very own copy of The Host, by Stephanie Meyer on unabridged audio CD!

Just post your score on our Facebook wall (with a link to the quiz), in the comments section of the blog, or RT @simplyaudiobook on twitter  (with your score and a link to the quiz) we’ll randomly select a winner at the end of the day today (EST) to win.

It’s great Friday afternoon fun!

Contest open to US and Canadian residents only.

By now, most of you likely know the Harry Potter story, be it through the books or the movies. But you might not know Jim Dale. And trust me, this is a name you want to remember.

Jim Dale is the narrator for the Harry Potter audiobooks and a highly accomplished one at that.

He has won 10 Audie Awards; 12 Earphones Awards; 2 Grammys; his narration work on the Harry Potter series earned him the honor of being the first ever inductee into the Audio Publisher Association’s Hall of Fame; he holds THREE Guinness World Records, all of them related to audiobooks, 2 directly to Harry Potter.

Prisoner of Azkaban review:

It’s pretty obvious that J.K. Rowling’s story telling is magical,
but it’s also pretty obvious that Jim Dale’s reading of it gives its “magic” an entirely new dimension.
The Narrator shows no mercy for his listeners as he hisses and snarls and cackles through one creepy scene after another.
But he is also - and often - laugh-aloud funny.
Rowling and Dale together are “word magicians” -  without potions or spells, they weave enchantment.

Pick up your copy for 40% off, today only.

(And don’t forget to check to see which Harry Potter audiobook is on sale tomorrow!)

We’re big Harry Potter fans here at Simply Audiobooks. When Deathly Hallows was released, a few of us booked the boardroom, scheduled it in our Outlook calendars, and sat down to discuss the finale.

We have a mini sorting hat that works sort of like a magic 8 ball (I’m totally Gryffindor) that we frequently play with.

There’s a group of us who have already purchased our VIP reserved seating tickets for next Wednesday’s release of Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince in the theaters.

In celebration of all things Harry Potter, starting today and culminating on the movie’s release date of Wednesday July 15th, we are offering 40% off a different Harry Potter audiobook every day.  But, in the true spirit of Hogwarts, we’re only showing you the book that’s on sale today and keeping the others in a chamber of secrets, if you will.

Check back every day to see what’s behind the door. I’ve personally put a Colloportus charm on these doors and Alohomora won’t work, so bookmark this page and check back daily. Keep your Remembrall handy because this is a sale you won’t want to forget.

Today, save 40% off Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows!

Today, the machine better known as James Patterson, releases the 4th of 9 books set to come out this year. Swimsuit,the story of a beautiful supermodel who disappears on a photo shoot in Hawaii, promises to be a heart-pounding story of fear and desire, a veritable “hell of unspeakable horrors”.

A must listen for all Patterson fans.

See all James Patterson titles available for rent, download, and purchase from Simply Audiobooks.

Just a quick post to let you know the movie version of Jodi Picoult’s My Sisters Keeper is coming out in just over two weeks and to give you links to watch the trailer (which, actually looks kind of good).

HOWEVER, (yes, I yelled it, you know, for emphasis), the movie version has a different ending from the one Picoult penned in the actual novel.  Which seems odd, considering that the ending Picoult DID write has “one of the great shocker endings of recent fiction” (USA Today).

Picoult said “Having the ending changed would certainly not have been my choice. I wrote the ending very intentionally because I wanted to leave the reader with a certain message. And changing that ending changes that message. However, I am excited to see the movie and to judge it on its strengths.”

Picoult recently posted on her site that she has since seen the movie. “I had the chance to see the movie when I was on tour in LA. Yes - it ends differently from the book. And yes, you’re still going to like it.The acting is phenomenal; the movie is beautifully shot; and I highly recommend investing in Kleenex before you go”

So, though Picoult is giving the movie the proverbial thumbs up,  you need to read the book too. 1) Because it’s good. 2) To pay homage to the author and the real story as she wrote it. 3) I said so.  And really, reason #3 is reason enough.

James Patterson, dubbed “the man who can’t miss” by Time magazine,  received the Guinness World Record for the Most Entries on The New York Times Best-Seller LIst at BookExpo America last weekend.

Patterson has had 45 of his titles on the list, including 31 titles that hit number one, and that number is only likely to grow. In 2009 alone Patterson will be releasing 9 new titles, with a new one released every month from now until the end of the year (with the sole exception of October).

See Patterson’s small mountain of audiobooks available from Simply Audiobooks.

For the hardcore vampire lovers out there who thought your favorite fiends were dying a slow sucky death at the hands of romance, at last, we might have a saviour.

Guillermo del Toro, famed director of Pan’s Labyrinth, Blade II and the Hellboy series, alongside author Chuck Hogan, has just released The Strain, the first in what is set to be a trilogy of vampire novels.

Guillermo and Hogan present vampirism as a virus, about to destroy the world. “They have always been here. Vampires. In secret and in darkness. Waiting. Now their time has come.  In one week, Manhattan will be gone. In one month, the country. In two months—the world”

Watch this clip for an idea of what kind of vampire you can expect from del Toro.

Finally vampires are monsters again. Unleash the bloodsucking plague.

(*note - language in video clip may not be suitable for work)

Congratulations to Neil Gaiman, winner of the 2009 Audiobook of the Year for The Graveyard Book!

Gaiman’s book, which won The Newbery Medal earlier this year,  took top honours at The Audies in New York last friday. Often referred to as the ‘Oscars of the audiobook world’, the Audies is the only awards program in the U.S. entirely devoted to recognizing distinction in audiobooks and spoken word entertainment.

The Graveyard Book also took home the Audie for Children’s Titles for Ages 8-12, Gaiman’s  very first Audie win.

Other big winners were Curse of the Blue Tattoo, taking home The Audies for Distinguished Achievement in Production, Solo Narration - Female, and Teens; Thomas L. Friedman took home the Audies for Politics and Non-Fiction for Hot, Flat, and Crowded,

Full list of Winners:

• FICTION (TIE)

Duma Key, by Stephen King, read by John Slattery
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, by Mary Ann Shaffer, Annie Barrows, read by Various Artists

• LITERARY FICTION

Elmer Gantry, by Sinclair Lewis, read by Anthony Heald

• MYSTERY

Voice of the Violin, by Andrea Camilleri, Stephen Sartarelli, read by Grover Gardner

• THRILLER/SUSPENSE

Child 44, by Tom Rob Smith, read by Dennis Boutsikaris

• DISTINGUISHED ACHIEVEMENT IN PRODUCTION

Curse of the Blue Tattoo, by L.A. Meyer, read by Katherine Kellgren

• ROMANCE

The Dark Highlander, by Karen Marie Moning, read by Phil Gigante

• CHILDREN’S TITLES FOR AGES UP TO 8

James Herriot’s Treasury for Children, James Herriot, read by Jim Dale

• CHILREN’S TITLES FOR AGES 8-12

The Graveyard Book, by Neil Gaiman, read by Neil Gaiman

• TEENS

Curse of the Blue Tattoo, by L.A. Meyer, read by Katherine Kellgren

• NON-FICTION

Hot, Flat, and Crowded, by Thomas L. Friedman, read by Oliver Wyman

• SOLO NARRATION - FEMALE

Curse of the Blue Tattoo, by L.A. Meyer, read by Katherine Kellgren

• SOLO NARRATION - MALE

The Count of Monte Cristo, by Alexandre Dumas, read by John Lee

• AUDIO DRAMA

The Odyssey, by Homer, read by Tim McInnery, Amanda Redman

• AUDIOBOOK ADAPTATION

English Majors, by Garrison Keillor, read by Garrison Keillor

• BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR

The Last Lecture, by Randy Pausch, read by Erik Singer

• BUSINESS/EDUCATIONAL

Little Red Book of Selling, by Jeffrey Gitomer, read by Jeffrey Gitomer

• CLASSIC

Great Expectations, by Charles Dickens, read by Simon Vance

• HISTORY

Gandhi & Churchill, by Arthur Herman, read by John Curless

• HUMOR

The Learners, by Chip Kidd, read by Bronson Pinchot

• INSPIRATIONAL/FAITH-BASED FICTION

The Prague Counterpoint, by Bodie Thoene, Brock Thoene, read by Sean Barrett

• INSPIRATIONAL/FAITH-BASED NON-FICTION

The World of Promise: Next Generation - New Testament, read by Sean Astin, AnnaSophia Robb, Jordin Sparks, et al

• MULTI-VOICED

Mudbound, by Hillary Jordan, read by Ezra Knight et al

• NARRATION BY THE AUTHOR

When You Are Engulfed in Flames, by David Sedaris, read by David Sedaris

• ORIGINAL WORK

Louis Vuitton Soundwalk: Beijing, by Stephan Crasneanscki, read by Gong Li

• PACKAGE DESIGN

The Founding Fathers Collection, by Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr. ED., read by Richard Rohan, Ira Claffey

• PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT

You: Staying Young, by Mehmet C. Oz, Michael F. Roizen, read by Johnny Heller

• POLITICS

Hot, Flat, and Crowded, by Thomas L. Friedman, read by Oliver Wyman

• SCIENCE FICTION/FANTASY

Calculating God, by Robert J. Sawyer, read by Jonathan Davis

• SHORT STORIES/COLLECTIONS

Armageddon in Retrospect, by Kurt Vonnegut, read by Rip Torn, Mark Vonnegut

• SPANISH LANGUAGE

Por un dia mas/For One More Day, by Mitch Albom, read by Jose Manuel Vieira