Studio Letters from L.B. Neibaur JULY - Summer is Here!
JULY 2026
Hello and welcome to the July 2026 Studio Letters
Summer is in full swing here. I would be lying if I didn’t say that it's been challenging at times. We have a revolving door, with lots of wonderful extra teenagers making this their home, and I’ve had to set some boundaries with my kids so I can narrate.
We now have mandatory “reading hour.” While the bigs are at work, the littles get to pick a cozy spot, a blanket and a book. No talking/moving/breathing for 1 hour! Then it’s outside time – no drinks, potty breaks, or emergencies for 1 hour! I have also learned that I’m most efficient in the early morning. So many days, I drag myself to the studio at 5am and I’m finished narrating by the time swim team is over at 8am.
I recently wrote an article – with a nudge from a few author/narrator/friends, about Handing over the Baby – Why it's so hard to hand over the manuscript, without being able to deliver your imagination with it. And why it’s ok! You can read more on my blog at: lbneibaur.com
Project News: Summer has been a blast.! I’m wrapped up, Shep and the King of Hearts by Stacy Ladyman, finishing Ferret Run by Scott Freeman with Ellis Audiobooks, while Isobel’s Hidden Melody by Daryl Lott and The Ruby Cradle by James Hill with Ellis Audiobooks are both making great progress!
Please check out a wonderfully written and fun to listen to book, Love and the Divorce Lawyer by Barbara Newhart with Ellis Audiobooks. It’s coming soon to Audible and it’s a great romance/legal/courtroom mystery.
Also, if you love historical fiction – Civil War era - you’ll love Isobel’s Song, by Daryl Lott – the first book in The Faith and Fiddle Series. Narrating book 2 during the 250th anniversary of our country has been wonderful and emotional. Isobel's Hidden Melody focuses on the events that set the stage for the Civil War.
Industry News: If you’re a writer with a great idea, but need a little guidance on fleshing out your story, keeping readers’ attention, plot flow, etc, the Algonkian Novel Writing and Editing Program is excellent and thorough. You’ll have hands on writing experience with your own story idea to help you transform your manuscript.
I benefited from this while navigating my own Fantasy/Sci-Fi novel, which is currently sitting dusty on my computer – but I have decided to start working on getting it ready for publishing/narrating in the future. Thank you to several authors, friends, and especially my family who have encouraged this!
As always, thank you for following along on this journey.
Have a happy 4th of July! God Bless America! Laura    |
Comments