Early this week however, it occurred to me that I had pretty much saturated my Twitter circle with these reviews. And while that is fine, I would like to get more people interested in these wonderful authors who provide so much and ask for so little in return.

With that in mind, I decided I would throw my hat in the podcast arena and begin podcasting my reviews. The format will be similar to that of the posts, but contain a bit more banal blathering on my part. I will endeavor to podcast the new reviews as close to the time they are dropped on here on the site. However, I am also going back to the beginning and present the original reviews as well. In fact, my first podcast ep is now up, and following in the path I took with the original, the first podcasted review is of Tee Morris’ Billibub Baddings and the Case of the Singing Sword.

If you’ve been a long term listener, you won’t find much new on the legacy drops, other than my voice. If it annoys you as much as it annoys me, I don’t anticipate a large audience. If you can stand it though, and want to return those early days of yesteryear and experience Podcast Review #1 in a whole new way, you can subscribe here: http://recordings.talkshoe.com/rss97266.xml or simply stream it from the player on the right margin.

Fear not Twitter followers! I promise not to post about the podcast on Twitter (well, at least not too much). You’re all ready receiving the review updates there, so I won’t bombard you with podcast updates as well!

Thanks for providing me with the courage to make this effort!

Title:

So, back in 2008 (again) after having completed Billibub Baddings and the Case of the Singing Sword, I of course had to find out if Tee Morris had written anything else. Little did I know at the time that Mr. Morris was one of the original three podcasting authors. I went to iTunes and typed in his name and was happy to find Morevi Remastered. Thankfully, it had been going for a while all ready so there were some episodes “in the bank”. I eagerly subscribed and began the Morevi experience.

So, on to the review.

Synopsis: Morevi, a landlocked kingdom shrouded by jungles and mystery, falls under the rule of Askana Moldarin. In the dawn of this New Age, hidden traitors in her own regime threaten to destroy everything. The First Queen, independent of council, seeks help to reveal the conspiracy against her…

Enter Rafe Rafton, captain of the Defiant. (Stolen, once again, from Podiobooks.com)

Production: Morevi Remastered was unusual in its production. The production was indeed the catalyst for the remastering this podcast. I could definitely hear a difference between the portions of the podcast that came from the original, and the parts that had been added. As anyone that has consistently read these reviews should know, the production quality probably counts the least in importance for me. However, if you must have audio that doesn’t variate at all in order to enjoy a story, Morevi may not be your best bet. One other production element worth mentioning was the volume. Mr. Morris makes reference of this in one of the meta portions of one of the episodes and it is something that I definitely noticed. Morevi is not recorded with the intention that you will be able to shake the walls with the sea battles (well worth hearing) and other assorted production elements. There are times I could have wished it were louder. Still, the production on Morevi is far above merely satisfactory.

Cast: The cast of Morevi is almost a who’s who of podcasting. Through listening to Morevi I went on to search for Philippa Ballantine and Christiana Ellis to name just two. The vocal work is simply amazing and every single member of the cast sells their part in an emphatic manner.

Story: Pirates. Ninjas. Need I say more? Actually, that is about all I needed to know to subscribe. Want more? Morevi is an epic fantasy and I do mean epic in every sense of the word. The flavor of Morevi borrows heavily from the cultures of Western Europe and Asia, both of which I enjoyed very much. The scope of the story carries the crew through the panoramic views of two worlds, mixing fantasy with historical fiction.

Verdict: Quite simply I have never enjoyed a fantasy novel more than I enjoyed Morevi. It truly is the rule that is use in this genre. I do not try to hide the fact that I am a rabid fanboy of the story and I highly recommend the sequel, Legacy of Morevi, available only in print. While this verdict might seem a little over the top compared to most of the reviews I write, I give credit to Morevi for cementing my love of podiofiction as an art form that I wanted to delve into. I cannot recommend it highly enough if you enjoy fantasy epics.

Rating: Following a request in the comments of last weeks review, I plan on trying to provide a guide for perspective listeners. Morevi does include a fair amount of violence and a bit of sexual content. While most episodes would be safe for work, depending on your violence threshold where kids are concerned, it might not be minivan safe. I would rate Morevi most appropriate for young adults and beyond.

Disclaimer: As stated previously, I do count Mr. Morris as a friend and am looking forward to the day when I will meet him in person. However, he didn’t know about this review before it was released, he didn’t ask me to provide one, and offered me nothing in way of compensation.

1. All A Twitter was released roughly 10 months ago. Many new Twitter clients have been released since then. What are the ones we should be aware of and what platforms are they being made for?

Many of the new Twitter clients I have seen since the release of All a Twitter have been more web-based as opposed to AIR-based. Their interfaces have been less about the aesthetics and more about performance and stability. While I admire that, they tend to be no more than an extension of the sparse Twitter homepage only with the ability to harvest new tweets automatically.

However…

Only a few weeks ago I have been clocking in time with Hootsuite (http://www.hootsuite.com) and I have been VERY impressed with its capabilities. You can use it in Real Time or pre-schedule tweets in case you need to tend to other deadlines and priorities. Hootsuite is also available for the iPhone and other portable devices, so keep a sharp eye on this application. If you are managing multiple accounts, have tweets already composed, and are using Twitter more as a conversation starter or newswire, I recommend that you look into Hootsuite.

2. You’ve mentioned that you were proud of some of the more oblique cultural references you were able to keep in AAT. What, if any, were cut? Alternatively, what reference would you have loved to have found a use for?

I think this is one (of many) reasons why I love All a Twitter more than my other Twitter title, Sams Teach Yourself Twitter in 10 Minutes. I found that Que allowed me to be “me” in All a Twitter so I was able to get in a lot of pop culture references. They gave me so much freedom, in fact, that all of my geeky references made it through, one in particular being a Young Frankenstein quote.

If I could have made any other references, I think I would have said in response to the variety of phishing scams that infect people’s DM streams “They’re in the FRAKKIN’ SHIP!” (Col. Tigh from BSG) or if I was writing a section on my latest discovery (Hootsuite) I could have said “When you’re a spy, the opposition needs to think you’re somewhere you’re not. This is why Hootsuite is an essential tool as you can load it up with tweets and schedule them to go live. As the opposition think you’re at the computer, you are – in fact – somewhere else.” (Michael Westin from Burn Notice).

That last one would have been WIN. (Ed. Yes, yes it would have been.)

3. Since AAT was released, Twitter has continued to grow and evolve. What are your favorite areas of growth, and areas that you wish weren’t being explored?

I’m watching educators use Twitter more and more, and I feel that Twitter – and Social Media, on a whole – is the underused tool that should be utilized. There is so much that can be done with these various outlets – Twitter, FB, podcasting, etc.. I think educators need to explore the possibilities. Resource exchanges. Quick communication. Reference checks. If you are into education, you can reach an audience wide and diverse with Twitter.

As for where and how Twitter is evolving, I find that the Social Media Experts (a/k/a Evangelists, Mavens, Enthusiasts, Oracles, etc. a/k/a Social Media Douchebags a/k/a SMDs) are becoming less and less tolerated. Some of these self-proclaimed Twitter Messiahs are preaching their gospel to a flock in the hundreds of thousands, but tend to follow back less than a thousand or even less than a hundred.

What’s up with that?

I’m just going to call it like I see it: Everybody wants to be Chris Brogan (@ChrisBrogan)(respectful [ding]) but so few are achieving the balance between pro and personal. Chris isn’t perfect, but he is maintaining the genuine while managing the massive numbers. (One of many reasons I got that trust agent to write the AAT Foreword.) There are others like Jeff Sass (@sass) and CC Chapman (@cc_chapman) who are putting forward that effort to stay honest on Twitter. Between 2008-2009 there were SMDs left and right who nurtured the numbers and then stopped participating in their feeds. Oh sure, they would preach how they used Twitter to “connect” but look at their feeds and it would be RTs, quotes, and questions that linked back to their own site.

The tolerance for the Social Media Snake Oil Salesmen is dropping, I see. That is a beautiful thing.

4. If you could point Twitter development in a certain direction, what would it be?

I think Twitter needs to start taking _themselves_ more seriously.

For example, did you know there is an account you can follow that will keep you in the know of Twitter scams, viruses, and other hazards? It’s @safety. I had NO IDEA this account existed until Twitter “got hacked” back in February only to find it a false alarm (http://www.idguardian.com/phishing-attack-twitter/). @safety was one of the best kept and least publicized accounts in Twitter’s arsenal, and I’d like to know why? Sadly, @safety is managed by Del Harvey (@delbius) where she…retweets @safety. So who should you follow? One? Both? Beats me.

Twitter is still running itself like a “Wow-Ain’t-This-Keen” business and they need to get on the ball, straighten up, and fly right. Otherwise they will never be taken as the communication revolution TIME Magazine called them in June 2009.

5. How do you see Google’s Wave and Buzz products as competitors to Twitter?

I see Wave, Buzz, and Facebook as trying to be more like Twitter but they tend to twist your arm to make you volunteer information, including information you really don’t want to volunteer. What makes Twitter  the choice for me in Social Media communication and networking tools is that Twitter surrenders control to you. Nowhere are you asked to fill in information and reveal said information without consent. You’re in control. There are third-party add-on’s that are built on that sharing principal but unless you say clearly “No, don’t share that…” these applications share, share, share.

Twitter is about user control and what you want to share. That’s why I like it. in the end, I have the final word.

6. When asked why Tweet, what would you respond?

Actually, I ask people that question: Why are you on Twitter? If they say “To sell stuff” or “To make money” I find a majority of those people have short lifespans on the perch. To get into Twitter you need to either have a desire to communicate across a vast network, or you have a need to circulate resources and contacts ala LinkedIn. Twitter is about connection and participation. If you don’t want to do either, people will tune you out.

7. Bird House Rules is a fantastic companion for AAT. I’m unaware of any other non-fiction book with a podcast tie-in to keep it pertinent. Are you aware of any other?

Yes, it was me and “Podcasting for Dummies: The Companion Podcast” for Podcasting for Dummies from Wiley Publishing.  ;^)  We went for two seasons, but time and resources didn’t keep up with us. Still, it was a fantastic run. I’m hoping one of my partners in Season Two, Chuck Tomasi (@ctomasi)(courtesy [ding]), decides to do a companion podcast for his own Sams Teach Yourself WordPress in 10 Minutes (with Kreg Steppe, @steppek(courtesy [ding])). I’ll lean on him about that.

7b. Was it a hard sell with your publisher?

Not at all. Que has loved the idea and thinks the podcast and companion blog is yet another avenue for promoting both titles. Listenership has been steadily climbing and I’m hoping it will continue to do so. The challenge of keeping the podcast under ten minutes has been just that – a challenge – but BHR has really become a labor of love for me. My favorite episode so far has been the oh-so-hard-to-produce “TweetDeck Update” episode, complete with video companion. Good fun!

8. How hard was it let your editor have the last word in AAT (or did you)?

The editorial staff, from the Technical (@PhilippaJane)(courtesy [ding]) to the line editors, were all professionals. They kept me honest and they kept me on my toes. It is one reason I am crossing my fingers that somewhere down the road, I’m asked to do a second edition (or another book) for Que. I really, really enjoyed working with them, and it has been a positive experience since AAT’s release last summer.

9. What can we expect from Tee Morris in the remainder of 2010?

You can expect more episodes of Bird House Rules, hopefully with a few interviews of my own from Twitter users. I’m also trying to get a video series with Que started, but with the start of the year being as it was (and you can read teemorris.com [ding] for more on that), it’s hard to say when I will be ready. BHR has gotten me to turn my attention back to podcasting, something I genuinely missed, and I look forward to blogging and podcasting from birdhouserules.com [ding]. Finally, there is Twitter itself. Currently I am managing both my @TeeMonster [ding]and @ITStudios[ding] accounts, along with @IDGuardian[ding] (my day job)[ding] and @createsouth[ding] (a volunteer gig in support of a fantastic one-day creative think tank happening every April in Myrtle Beach, SC). You have many ways of keeping up with me and what I do with Twitter, both from a corporate, non-profit, and simply personal point-of-view.

2010 offers many possibilities for me, and I hope you follow me on Twitter to keep up with them.

–

There ends the interview. I would like to thank Tee again for making himself available and putting in some serious thought on answering those questions. The [ding]‘s were added by the editor (me), and if you’re unaware of the reference, find a audio interview of Tee’s. It will then all make sense.

Chasing the Bard

Title: Chasing the Bard
Author: Philippa J. Ballantine
Genre: Alternate History/Fantasy
Released: 3 March 2008 – 11 August 2008
Located: Podiobooks, iTunes,Author’s site
Formats Available: Podcast, iPhone App, Kindle, and dead tree version through Dragon Moon Press (available at Amazon and other fine retailers)

As I recounted in PR#1, I started listening to fiction podcasts with a story by Tee Morris. This led me to see if he had anything else available. He did. Morevi: Remastered. One of the principal talents in this podcast was Philippa J. Ballantine. I went on to discover she was also an author and podcaster, and she had a very good story of her own available. Namely Chasing the Bard. (Later, I found out that Weaver’s Web, her very first podcast novel is also available.) [recanted from Podcast Review #5: Weather Child]

Although I wrote the above introduction more than a month ago, and for a different podcast novel, it remains true and there isn’t much I could have done to improved upon it, so I didn’t try.

The intervening weeks have brought much change, and unfortunately, not all for the good. But more of that later. For now let me state that Chasing the Bard was the first full length story of Ms. Ballantine’s that I had listened to, and from the very beginning I was intrigued. I’ve always enjoyed historic fantasy that takes the world we live in and asks, “What if all those old faerie stories were true?” Chasing the Bard does a fair job of answering that question.

So, on to the review.

Synopsis: Born into the human world with a gift; a gift that brings him to the attention of powers both dark and light from the World of the Fey, it is his burden to defend all the world.

Sive, the goddess of battle, hopes that he may be able to change the fate of her people.The Fey are dying, killed by something beyond the boundaries of worlds, and Sive will do anything to save them. So she enlists the help of her trickster cousin Puck to guard the child, and watch him grow into his gift. But a dark power imprisoned by human and Fey, plots to destroy both worlds, and unmake all that they have created.

Can one boy stop the destruction, even if he is William Shakespeare?

Production: I believe this was Ms. Ballantine’s first podcast novel for which she used a cast and a fair amount of production. In my opinion, the greatest compliment you could pay anyone in this situation is by saying, “I never would have known that.” And indeed, I never would have guessed that Chasing the Bard was the first story that she tried to produce at this level. All production values are well done and the story is easy to listen to with all the dramatic elements adding to the story, and none getting in the way. I also will make notice that I believe this is the last podcast for which she included a TSSF. (Silently doing a happy dance.)

Cast: Ms. Ballantine out did herself on this one. The cast page on her site lists fourteen separate voice talents for this piece of podio fiction. Every single one of them nailed their parts. More impressively (especially because I believe this was one of the first two I ever subscribed to and waited for the stories to drop), at least to me, is that not a single episode dropped late. Indeed, many of them were released early. How big of deal is this? Well, to me, not that big, as I really don’t mind waiting for a good story. BUT, I also can’t imagine the herculean task it would be to coordinate this many pieces of audio into a coherent story. Good show! I would be remiss however, if I didn’t point out that Will Shakespeare was voiced by Tee Morris, and truly, he made it his own.

Story: Chasing the Bard is an interesting mixture of history, fantasy, and delving into the historical fantasy that IS William Shakespeare. I quite enjoyed the way the story was laid out and the way it came together. Ms. Ballantine avoided most of the snares I’ve noticed many stories written in this genre stumbling upon. Namely, the overpowering need of the other to justify the actions of the character with the history. Please don’t misunderstand me, the history is very important, but if I were wanting a historical account, I would have paid more attention in class. Well, although that isn’t quite true (I loved history), I would look it up in a book. When I listen to fiction, it is to be entertained, not to be educated. Now if I get an education along the way, that is great, but when an author makes me feel like I’m back in the classroom, I walk away. Ms. Ballantine makes you feel the period and envision it denizens without ever wallowing in the history.

Verdict: Chasing the Bard was one of the first two books I ever purchased because of what the author gave to us for free. Ms. Ballantine continues to deliver content that I would gladly pay for and if you haven’t listened to CTB yet, you need to make time to do so.

Disclaimer: Philippa Jane Ballantine, known and loved as Pip, was the second person I followed on Twitter (@philippajane). She is a wonderful and warm person with an amazing capacity to care across miles (or kilometers) of ocean. She is one of my best friends. However, I received nothing in return for this review, and if anything had been offered, I would have refused.

Aside: I’m stepping WAY out of format here and coming to you with my hat in my hand asking for your help. Ms. Ballantine’s frequent collaborator and I purpose best friend, Tee Morris, suffered a tragedy this week. His wife, Natalie Morris, passed away suddenly. Through the generosity of the podcasting community, many of the bills inherent in this situation have been covered. If you have donated, I thank you. Profusely and from the bottom of my heart.

However, Tee has a young daughter, Sonic Boom, that will now be relying on Tee solely for all her worldly and emotional needs. I know, absolutely and beyond a shadow of a doubt, that Tee is more than up to the task. However, I ask that we don’t make him go this alone. A ChipIn account was created by Ms. Ballantine in order to help her friend and to provide for Sonic Boom in the future. It is doing well, but in this case, too much is impossible. Can you help? You can donate here: http://teeandserena.chipin.com/sonic-booms-trust

Also, there will be an online charity auction to benefit Sonic Boom taking place on 27 February, 2010. If you care to donate an item or service, please do so at donations@theboomeffect.org. If you would rather bid, you can do that also at http://www.theboomeffect.org

Items are showing up regularly, so be sure to subscribe with your RSS catcher to make sure you find the item that catches your fancy. ALL money raised will be going to Sonic Boom’s future. Thanks again, and God bless you.

However, if either of those are true, you’ve also more than likely heard of the tragedy that has struck one of the founders of podio fiction.

Tee Morris, author of the Morevi and Billibub Baddings series, as well as the non fiction Podcasting for Dummies, Advanced Podcasting for Dummies, All a Twitter, and Teach Yourself Twitter in Ten Minutes lost his wife this week, leaving Tee to be the sole provider for his 5 year old daughter, affectionately known as Sonic Boom.

In an effort to alleviate some of the financial strain, the podcasting community has come together in an effort to not only take care of short term expenses but to set up a trust for Sonic Boom.

Tee never asked for a thing, and I would not at all be surprised if he had been asked before hand, he would have declined the help. Tee is just that kind of guy. Tee helps. I’ve never met a less selfish man.

WIthin 24 hours of the tragedy being known, Tee’s good friend and co-author, Philippa Ballantine created a Chip In option for people to donate to these expenses. The response has been extensive. Within the first 36 hours, the total had exceeded  10,000. That amount has continued to grow. An internet auction is now being setup to take place at the end of Feburary with the proceeds to be put in the trust being created for Sonic Boom.

All of the aforementioned information you probably seen before. 

I have been keeping up on the total being collected at the ChipIn site. I am very excited and overwhelmed by the love and support that has been being shown here, and I seriously hope it doesn’t end anytime soon. However, as I’ve repetitively clicked refresh, one thing has been interesting to notice.

Someone donated in the amount of $x.13. Thirteen cents? Why would anyone donate thirteen cents? 

This gave me pause for a bit, and it has been something that has been in the back of my mine since I noticed.

And this is what has come of that rumination.

No one donates thirteen cents that doesn’t have to. There is no reason to. Most would automatically give a dollar amount, and most of us would even give an even dollar amount ending in a 5 or a 10. So, for a person to donate $x.13, this person had to have been giving what they could, not just what they wanted to, but everything they could. 

When I thought of it this way, it choked me up. It is easy to take of our families and those that are near to us. It is also easy to make cyber-friends that you can “drop” or “unfollow”. What isn’t easy is to give what you can. 

I know there are other explanations. I’ve thought of others myself, in fact some might be more logical. But this isn’t a time for logic. This is a time to feel. To reach out your hand because you can.

I thank each one of you that have blogged, podcast, and donated to Tee and Sonic Boom this week. What I ask of you is simply this, don’t stop. Do what you can. 

Do you want to donate to the auction? Submit your proposal to donations@theboomeffect.org.

Want to view and bid on some of the items? http://theboomeffect.org.

Want to Chip In? http://teeandserena.chipin.com/tee-and-sonic-boom

The sense of community I’ve seen on Twitter this week puts to shame my local community, and I am proud to be a part of it. Thank you for all you are doing.