I am doubly thrilled about you getting the Clive Cussler award since he is my other all-time favortie author. Congratulations!

Is this contract issue the reason that we can get Echo in unabridge format hot from the presses? I am guessing that it just may be. I know that for me, I was SO excited to see it on Audible. It took me may 2.5 seconds to start downloading it! Somehow I doubt that you even have a choice in the audio formats, do you? I read one of your posts on abridged vs. unabridged, and it is quite clear how you feel about that subject.

I will be getting in contact with recorded books on Monday to find out more about their audiobook club vs. the rentals.

I appreciate your candor on this. Sorry to bug you. I look forward to having the opportunity to add the 2 to my audio collection once they become available on Audible in a few years. I suppose that I will have to be happy for the print versions of all of them right now. I think you are only 1 of 2 authors that I love so much that I have the hard cover's of their books AND the audio recordings.

Take care!
Linda

I don't know. Given that Jamie didn't really know Hector personally, that he was Jocasta's third husband, and Hector's now dead, I don't know that Jamie would have thought of him as an actual uncle.

I guess I'll have to wait… the prices for those unabridged recordings are way out of my league.

I have managed to get a copy for BREATH from the library, the only copy in the entire county, but can't locate one for FIERY CROSS anywhere in the UK. It is a pity that for most fans those two books are out of reach not only to buy, but even to borrow from libraries.

For most die-hard fans the abridged versions are simply not an option. Not only that they miss out on so much but also that having got so used to Davina Porter, hers is the only 'true' voice of J&C.

I do think it is wonderful how you have immortalised Davina by making her Jamie's Grandmother.

And on the topic of family trees… Phaedre being the daughter of Hector Cameron makes her Jamie's illegitimate cousin by marriage. I missed anyone making that leap from daughter of H to cousin of J in the book. Have Jamie and Claire consciously thought of this off stage?

I can do exactly two things about it: 1) tell you _why_ the unabridged versions of FC and ABOSA aren't available on audible.com, and 2) tell you where they _are_ available.

1. The original contract with Random House (well, two contracts, in fact) covered the _abridged_ audio rights to the first six books. These contracts left me the unabridged rights–which we sold to Recorded Books (the one who uses Davina Porter)–but specified that the unabridged versions could not be sold in the same retail outlets where the abridged versions were sold. (The reason being obvious; if anybody _saw_ the abridged and unabridged versions side by side, they'd realize instantly that the abridged (Geraldine James) versions leave out 2/3 to 3/4 of the story (no, not exaggerating!), and not buy them.)

Those contracts run for a period of ten years from original publication of each book. Ergo, the contracts have expired for the first four books, but not yet (!) for FIERY CROSS or BREATH. As soon as those ten-year licenses are up, I'll get the abridged rights back, and be able to stop Bantam Audio from publishing them–whereupon audible.com will be able to sell the UNabridged versions.

2. Recorded Books, as I say, does the unabridged versions and you can buy ALL the books in unabridged format from them, any time. http://www.recordedbooks.com

Thank you so much for whatever you can do!
Linda

Love the kitty pic!

Tawna