Accepting the Moon: Prequell for the Moonrising Series by K.S. Haigwood, Narrated by Pyper Down

There is something of a sense of anticipation when an author gives the same attention to her choice of narrator as the printed word. This is her third audiobook I've listened to. So far, each choice she has made in narrators has only enhanced my enjoyment of her work. Pyper Down hit ever inflection, every emotion perfectly. I found her vocalization of the male characters remarkable in that each one was easily identifiable. To my mind women narrating male parts, as well as men narrating for female parts can be tricky. You either nail it or you don't. Pyper Down definitely nailed it.

As with her written works, Haigwood's audiobooks are definitely worth picking up. The only way she could have put out a better audiobook was to have hired a full cast voice ensemble. Five stars to both author and narrator.

Becoming Charlie: Part 2 by Kristie Haigwood, Audiobook narrated by Melissa Moran

Melissa Moran has nailed it again. Her vocal changes hit in every place I do in my mind when reading. It was pure joy to close my eyes and listen to one of my favorite Haigwood stories. I have to say 'one of' because each one is better than the one before. I would be hard put to choose one book as a favorite, but a series? Charlie and Sean's stories are the current choice.

So many subjects are covered in this book (PTSD, war injury, emotional manipulation, and more) that reading was both enthralling and at times, painful. I grew up during the VietNam war and clearly remember news casts showing rows of flag-draped caskets coming off the planes. I remember seeing the dark green car pulling up across the street and someone's mother collapsing. That Charlie's dad was injured and not killed was still traumatic. Sgt Mason's PTSD was voiced with a deftness that has to be heard to be appreciated.

When Charlie is accidentally injured as a direct result of her father's PTSD, Moran had me in tears. I've read the book; I know what's coming. That didn't help. My chest grew tight. I clenched my fist and rode it out.

I enjoyed this audio book so much I listened twice before finally writing the review. Moran gives you everything you could want in a narrator. It goes without saying that Kristie Haigwood does the same as an author.

Great work ladies! 5 stars.

Andromeda's Reign: Moonrising, Book 2 by Kristie Haigwood, Audiobook narrated by B.D. McMonnies

One of my favorite parts is also a section I consider the best narrated - Ace telling Andra about losing his fiancée to Justin. The pain and anger are perfectly expressed by the narrator. I believe that extremely emotional scenes are this narrator's strength. Each one is precisely conveyed leaving no doubt how the character feels.

Haigwood seems to have a knack for selecting the best people to narrate her novels. I've been a fan of hers from the first page of the first book I read of hers.

A narrator can make or break an audiobook. McMonnies does justice to a fantastic story. There were moments when I felt the vocal distinction between characters was not as good as it could have been, but overall I thought he did a wonderful job. He has a voice that makes you want to put down everything you are doing, close your eyes, and get lost in the story. He's not someone you should listen to while doing other things. This is your 'take a break' audiobook. Grab your beverage of choice, get comfy, and fall away into Ace and Andromeda's story.

5 stars.

Becoming Charlie: Part 1 by Kristie Haigwood, Audiobook narrated by Melissa Moran

This is the second audiobook I've ever listened to and I'm so happy I did. If you've ever browsed through the "Books I've Reviewed" tab, you'll notice quite a few by Kristie Haigwood. I love her. I have all her books on Kindle and print editions signed by her. I love everything she's done.

Now, I don't know about you, but when I read, I hear the story in my head. The characters have their own individual voices and I imagine what they look like. Given that, I've been hesitant to listen to well-loved stories being narrated. Knowing the quality of Kristie's work, I decided one of her books would be a good place to listen to a book for the first time in over 50 years. The previous story was on LP - Tale Spinners for Children: Cinderella. It was magical. These days, that album would be considered an audio drama since it had a full cast rather than a single narrator.

Flash forward to today, I was again to experience the magic of an audiobook. Once I settled into the story and became familiar with the narrator, I was transported to Charlie's world. Melissa skillfully wove new life into a beloved story, creating unique voices for each character.  It wasn't long before I moved beyond knowing a woman was narrating to being fully immersed in the experience. I moved through the day carrying my phone with me, taking care of daily chores while listening to the story. I cried again at the same points at which I cried when I read the book. It didn't matter since I wasn't trying to read through my tears.

Melissa was the perfect choice for narrating Charlie's story. She gave the same emotions I did to each part when I originally read the story. I didn't just imagine Charlie's fear when she was being bullied at the beginning, Melissa made me feel her fear. She expertly vocalized Sean's disappointment that Charlie listened to the girls saying he was gay, and his desperation when she believed he repeated her secret about not remembering her brother.

The joy I found listening to Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty on LP has been reborn with this experience. If you love stories, but don't feel you have time to sit down and read one, by all means get the audiobook. And if you're already a Haigwood fan, you can't do any better than start with one of hers. You won't be disappointed.

For all of the above reasons, I'm giving this story 5 stars.