Today, I have mystery Early Snow in our audiobook spotlight! Take a minute and learn about the book and author--and be sure to enter for a chance to win a prize in the book tour giveaway at the end of this post! 

Mystery

Date Published: February 18, 2026

Narrator: Greg O'Donahue

Run time: 5 hours 20 minutes.

Odyssey Pruit paints pictures of the ghosts and spirits she saw in the halls of an old hotel where she worked ten years before. GUY HOGAN doesn’t believe in ghosts. Hogan is hired to guard Odyssey’s pictures for her first art show in the same old hotel. When an early blizzard closes the roads, knocks out the power and telephone, Hogan is trapped in the hotel with Odyssey’s quirky fans. When imps and ghouls make their presence known, Hogan questions his doubts, and the answer could be murder.

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about the author

 Kevin Wolf is an award-winning Mystery and Western author. His books include Trailridge (2024), The Homeplace, winner of the 2015 Tony Hillerman Prize and the 2016 Strand Critics Award finalist for Best Debut Mystery. His short story Belthanger received the 2021 Spur Award for Best Short Fiction and his novel, The Bootheel was a 2024 Peacemaker Award finalist. 

The legends and landscape of the West are evident in everything he writes. His newest novel, Trailridge, is set against the grandeur of Colorado’s Rocky Mountain National Park and the 1982 Lawn Lake Flood. Those who visit Rocky often or have chosen the national park for their once-in-a-lifetime destination will recognize the mountains, valleys, rivers, and the twists and turns of Trailridge as this story races to its climax. 

In The Homeplace, a schoolboy hero returns after sixteen years to solve a murder in a windswept, dying town on the eastern plains of Colorado. In his short story Belthanger, readers are given a glimpse of a 1950s small town, soon to be bypassed by the new Interstate Highway System, and the drama that unfolds on the town’s darkened streets one night. The BootHeel is a coming-of-age tale of a teenage orphan and an aging gunman as they follow a treasure map into Mexico as the nineteenth century draws to its end. 

Kevin Wolf is a member of Western Writers of America, Mystery Writers of America, and serves as Vice President of Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers. He facilitates a weekly critique group for other writers. The great-grandson of Colorado homesteaders, he enjoys fly fishing, old Winchesters, and almost every 1950’s Western movie. He lives in Estes Park, CO with his loving and patient wife.

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Today, we are joining the audiobook tour for thriller How to Surf a Hurricane! Learn about the book & author Todd Medema!

Date Published: 11/18/2025

Publisher: Atmosphere Press

Narrator: Nathan Westhoff

Run Time: '6:37

Determined to get his prototypes back, he enlists the help of a professional hurricane surfer, an Alaskan oil worker, and a French salt farmer. But he's no criminal mastermind, and they soon find themselves caught between a growing hurricane and a surprise algae field. 

Will Moro succeed? Will they beat the hurricane surfing world record? And how exactly does one farm salt? 

It's a hopeful climate heist—a solarpunk blend of Ocean's Eleven, The Martian and Michael Crichton.

Todd studied Technology, Entrepreneurship, and Design at Carnegie Mellon University. He worked on self-driving cars and board games before discovering a passion for clean energy. He spent four years working on grid-scale battery storage and now offers Product Management consulting to clean energy companies. 

Todd spends his free time playing games, climbing rocks, and gleefully riding his electric bike everywhere. He is currently working on expanding the Hurricane universe.

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If you’ve never tried audiobooks, you’re not alone—but you’re missing one of the easiest ways to read more, learn more, and enjoy stories on the go! Whether you commute, walk your dog, or relax before bed, audiobooks can turn ordinary moments into mini reading escapes.

Getting started is much easier than you might think—and yes, you can enjoy them even if you’re a lifelong “page loyalist.” Here’s everything you need to know to become a confident, committed audiobook listener. 

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Why Audiobooks Are Worth It

Audiobooks have exploded in popularity thanks to their convenience, accessibility, and variety. You can download a new audiobook and start listening in seconds. You can discover new narrators who naturally bring stories to life, and fit books into your day in ways traditional reading can’t.

Top Benefits of Audiobooks:

• 🎧 Listen anywhere: in the car, at the gym, or while folding laundry.
• ⏱️ Save time: multitask while “reading.”
• 💬 Boost comprehension: many listeners absorb and remember more through narration.
• 🧠 Rediscover classics: professional narrators make even dense books feel cinematic. 

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How to Choose the Right Audiobook for Your First Listen

Not all books translate equally into great audio experiences. When you’re starting out, look for engaging stories, talented narrators, and strong pacing.

A few tips:

• Pick a book you’ve already read: Familiarity helps you focus on the experience rather than trying to keep up with the plot.
• Start with action, mystery, or romance: These genres tend to have lively narration and keep you hooked.
• Check the narrator: A great voice actor can transform a good book into an unforgettable one. Look up samples before buying.  

The Easiest Ways to Listen

You can listen through almost any device—your phone, tablet, or laptop. Many apps make it seamless to start, bookmark, and sync across devices.

Popular Programs:

• Audible: The largest audiobook marketplace, perfect for most users. Offers include discounted monthly rates + credits.
• Libro.fm: Independent-bookstore-friendly and ethically sourced. Libro.fm Memberships offer credits and discounts--and support local bookstores. You can sign up here.
• Scribd: Subscription-based, great for voracious listeners.
• Spotify & Apple Books: Ideal for quick purchases or trying single titles.

You can create affiliate links for some of these services so that each signup through your blog earns you a commission.

How to Stay Engaged While Listening

If you’ve tried audiobooks before and lost focus, don’t write them off yet. Listening is a skill—one that gets easier with the right strategies.

Try these focus hacks:

• Start small. Go for short audiobooks, around 4–6 hours.
• Listen during routines. Walking, cleaning, or commuting works best.
• Use bookmarks and notes. Apps let you highlight key parts to revisit.
• Adjust narration speed. Many new listeners prefer 1.2x speed—it sounds natural but sharper.

Best Kinds of Books to Begin With

While preferences vary, newcomers usually love:

• Memoirs read by the author: Authentic and heartfelt (try Becoming by Michelle Obama).
• Mystery & thrillers: Great pacing and attention-grabbing.
• Humorous fiction: Laughter keeps you locked in.
• Short story collections: Quick wins to build the habit.

My eBook Recommendation of the Week? I just finished listening to Magic Hour by Kristin Hannah, with narration by Suzanne Toren. Great for fans of attention grabbing psychological fiction!

Make Audiobooks Part of Your Lifestyle

The secret to loving audiobooks is consistency. Instead of carving out extra time to “read,” weave listening into your existing routine. 

Morning coffee? Audiobook. 

Drive to work? Audiobook. 

Evening walk? Audiobook.

The more you listen, the more natural it becomes—and soon, regular reading and listening will feel like interchangeable, enriching habits.

Final Thoughts

If you’ve ever said, “I don’t have time to read,” audiobooks are your answer. They transform downtime into discovery time and open new worlds right through your headphones.

So don’t wait—grab your first audiobook today:

👉 Try Audible or Start Listening with Libro.fm & Support Local Stores

Whether you’re chasing adventure, memoir, or motivation, there’s a story waiting to fill your next quiet moment. All you have to do is hit play. 

This morning, I have a mystery audiobook to share! Learn about Trailridge and author Kevin Wolf! 

Mystery

Date Published: Aug 1, 2025

Narrator: Greg O'Donahue

Run Time: 6 hours 24 minutes

 

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About the Book

 

Guy Hogan and his wife planned to share their dream home in Colorado but cancer his took her from him. The mountains became his refuge and each day he hoped the next cast of his flyrod will chase away his loneliness. 

 

Then he finds a man’s body in his favorite trout stream.

 

Learning why the man died becomes a quest to fill his emptiness. Hogan befriends a young woman as empty as he. Their path leads to a ring of poachers killing elk for their antlers, a break neck car chase across the twist and turns of the highest paved road in the United States, and the fury of a mountain flash flood. 

 

But the young woman is not what she seems. Will her deadly secrets force Hogan to become the very thing he despises? The challenge is as treacherous as Trail ridge Road.

 

About the Author

Kevin Wolf’s novel, THE HOMEPLACE is the winner of the 2015 Tony Hillerman Award. Western Writers of America selected his short story, BELTHANGER as the 2021 Spur Award Winner for Best Short Fiction. THE BOOTHEEL, a traditional Western, is a finalist for the 2024 Peacemaker Award. The great-grandson of Colorado homesteaders, he enjoys fly fishing, old Winchesters, and 1950’s Western movies. He lives in Estes Park, CO with his wife.

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Historical Fiction

Date Published: August 20, 2024

Publisher: Luminare Press

Narrator: Carolyn Wand Eslick

Run Time: 8 hours, 13 minutes

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Where Eagles Nest chronicles a young couple, Alex and Julianna Lampert, as they immigrate from Lichtenstein, in search of land where they can raise a family and participate in the American dream. The young newlyweds eventually settle in the rugged hills and pasturelands above the Sandy River in Oregon, where they forge a life of love and pursue their quest for prosperity in spite of the struggle in the wild terrain of the Pacific Northwest in the 1880s. —Sharon Nesbit, writer and historian, author of It Could’ve Been Carpdale.

About the Author

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Do you enjoy coming of age novels and historical fiction? This morning, I have an audiobook to share! Learn about The Irish Girl and author Ashley E. Sweeney! Check out the book and be sure to enter for a chance to win a prize in the book tour giveaway at the end of this post! 

Date Published: December 10, 2024 (Paperback) / March 11, 2025 (Audiobook)

Publisher: She Writes Press/Tantor Media

Narrator: Aoife McMahon

Run Time: 9 hours and 39 minutes

Thirteen-year-old Mary Agnes Coyne, forced from her home in rural Ireland in 1886 after being accused of incest, endures a treacherous voyage across the Atlantic alone to an unknown life in America. From the tenements of New York to the rough alleys of Chicago, Mary Agnes suffers the bitter taste of prejudice for the crime of being poor and Irish. 

After moving west to Colorado, Mary Agnes again faces hardships and grapples with heritage, religion, and matters of the heart. Will she ever find a home to call her own? Where?

A native New Yorker, Ashley E. Sweeney is the multi-award-winning author of four novels, The Irish Girl, Hardland, Answer Creek: A Novel of The Donner Party, and Eliza Waite. She graduated from Wheaton College in Norton, Mass. with a degree in American Literature and American History and spent her career as a journalist and educator before turning to writing full-time. When she is not chained to her writing desk, Sweeney is an avid gardener, art quilter, and mosaic artist. She lives in the Pacific Northwest and Tucson.

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Recently, I read and reviewed The Girl of Many Crowns by D.H. Morris and, today, I want to share my thoughts about the audiobook version of the novel! Learn about the book and the author, read my thoughts on the book and be sure to enter for a chance to win a prize in the book tour giveaway at the end of this post. 

​Book Title:  The Girl of Many Crowns by D.H. Morris
Category:  Adult Fiction (18 +),  305 pages
Genre: Historical Fiction 
Publisher:  New Classics Publishing
Release date:  October 4, 2024
Content Rating: PG due to some mature subject matters, but no graphic violence, language, or sexual content.

 Meet the Author