It's raining, it's pouring...

In the wee hours of the morning, while all was black and still, I was woken by a great thunderclap. In my hazy, sleep-drunk state, I thought of an egg: an enormous crack, the peeling open of the taut, steamy sky, then the great and instant deluge of rain.

It stormed all night, grumbling thunder, flashing lightning, and it's still raining now. When you live in the sub-tropics, rain pelting a tin roof is one of the best sounds you'll hear, and I hope it lasts all day. Writing with a hot cup of tea steaming beside me while it's wet and grey outside just about tops my list of book-related pleasures.

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And now to a very good question that came in via the FAQ line:

My mom is blind and listens to audio books constantly. She and I both enjoyed The Shifting Fog and The Forgotten Garden immensely and Caroline Lee is the perfect narrator for these. So, my question is, do you know if The Distant Hours will be out on audio and who will narrate if so. I'd hate for my mom to miss yet another wonderful book by you and we are so excited for the release!

Kind regards,

Terri

Thanks for your email, Terri. I adore audio books--there's something deeply pleasant and nostalgic about being read to. If you close your eyes, you can almost imagine that you're a small child again, curled up on the rug as a grown person brings a story world to life. 

I'm very happy to say that yes, THE DISTANT HOURS will be released as an unabridged audio book. Bolinda Audio, the very same audio publishers responsible for my other books (and, incidentally, a dynamic family publishing house) have bought the rights. Caroline Lee is amazing, isn't she? Proof of her talent: when I listened to her recording of HOUSE AT RIVERTON/SHIFTING FOG, I was able, for the first time, to hear the words anew, almost as if the story had been written by someone else. I'll certainly be putting in a request that Caroline perform THE DISTANT HOURS, too.

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There are other questions to answer. Lots of other questions. Thank you for sending them, and for caring enough about the books to think of them. I will be back soon with many more answers. In the meantime, happy reading and listening!