The Perfect Culture

Author: Brent Robins

Narrator: David George

Length: 8 hours 41 minutes

Publisher: Brent Robins

Released: Oct. 11, 2019

Genre: Humor; Travel Fiction

He’s seeking a place to belong. His only tool is philosophical satire… Thomas Gephardt loses no love for his rural Indiana home. Struck with raging wanderlust, the small-town college student heads for France armed with nothing but a thirst for stimulating conversation. So starts Thomas’s ego-bruising first leg of his ill-fated quest for cultural perfection. Struggling to fit in at the catty French cafés, Thomas expands his search to the bustling city streets of Japan and the quiet devotion of an Israeli Kibbutz. But after each stopover leaves him with more questions than answers, he worries no location will check every box on his ideal society list. Will Thomas find his far-flung utopian land, or is this American expat lost in transit? The Perfect Culture is a darkly satirical standalone travel novel. If you enjoy candid cultural commentary, unique perspectives, and detailed descriptions, then you’ll love Brent Robins’s international lampoon. Buy The Perfect Culture for a tongue-in-cheek ticket to ride today!

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I currently live in the Cleveland, Ohio area. I have many diverse interests, such as reading, singing (choir and karaoke), exercise, and movies. I love exploring other cultures, and that is the theme of my first novel. I’ve traveled to over forty countries, and I plan to see many more!

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David George is a versatile voice actor who brings a wide range of experience to the mic. Having been raised in London, England and Canada and a resident of Los Angeles since 1979, David can switch effortlessly between many regional US, UK & European accents. David recently voiced the feature trailer “Everyday Hero” for Tri-Coast Studios which recently screened at the Cannes Film Festival May 2018. “The Battle of Little Saylers Creek” – A documentary directed, edited and original music by David George follows the “living historians” re-enactors as they bring to life one of the last battles of the US Civil War. The movie aired over 3 years on the Documentary Channel. David likes to think of himself as a citizen of the world and has three passports to prove it! Now a dual citizen of the US, Canada & the UK. A former A&M Canada Recording artist and recently lyricist for Grammy nominated composer, Michael Hoppé “Nightingale” – Vocals Giuditta Scorcelletti Spring Hill Records US True North Canada.   I received this audiobook as part of my participation in a blog tour with Audiobookworm Promotions. The tour is being sponsored by Brent Robins. The gifting of this audiobook did not affect my opinion of it.

Q&A with Author Brent Robins

• Tell us about the process of turning your book into an audiobook.
  • It was a lot of work. I thought that I was saving money by doing more of the reviewing myself, but it was very time consuming. ACX wouldn’t let me use their platform until my book was listed for pre-order, so I used Voices.com. I looked for someone whose voice matched the mood of the book, and I learned later that our backgrounds had some things in common.
• Do you believe certain types of writing translate better into audiobook format?
  • Yes–upmarket fiction or lighter fiction is probably better than heavy literary fiction. Possibly heavy literary fiction would work on a hike, but it would be more problematic listening to it while driving in the car. Poetry is better seen, to get a sense of the flow and meter, in my view. Many reference books and cookbooks wouldn’t work well as audiobooks.
• Was a possible audiobook recording something you were conscious of while writing?
  • No, I didn’t realize that it was common for indie writers to do audiobooks. Some people whom I knew encouraged me to do it; they said they wouldn’t have time to sit down and read my book.
• Did you give them any pronunciation tips or special insight into the characters?
  • My narrator lived in a few different countries. There were a few words in which I wasn’t comfortable with his pronunciation. I’ve traveled widely though, so for the most part, it wasn’t an issue. I comment much about the characters, though I did ask him to give one of my minor characters a strong New Jersey/New York type accent.
• Were there any real life inspirations behind your writing?
  • Definitely. My novel is based on my travel experiences. My protagonist feels very alienated from his classmates in college. That wasn’t true for me, but I did feel that way in middle school, so I based it on that experience.
• How do you manage to avoid burn-out? What do you do to maintain your enthusiasm for writing?
  • So far, writing has been a hobby for me. I rarely write more than a couple times a week. If I were to do it full-time, then this issue would be more relevant. As every writer know, it’s hard to write full-time and be able to pay your bills. Some people pull it off, but it’s not easy to do.
• Are you an audiobook listener?
  • What about the audiobook format appeals to you? I’m generally more into podcasts. If it’s a full-length book, I prefer to read it. However, when I read Crime and Punishment, I couldn’t finish reading it; it was a very difficult book. I bought the audiobook and listened to the second half.
• Is there a particular part of this story that you feel is more resonating in the audiobook performance than in the book format?
  • Yes–the narrator does about ten different accents since the book has an international focus. I feel that the international character comes alive more with the various accents.

with Author Brent Robins

1) Waffle fries or curly fries? Waffle fries 2) Fantasy or science-fiction? Science fiction 3) Superman or Batman? Superman 4) Text message or call? Text message 5) Facebook or Twitter? Facebook 6) Being too warm or too cold? Too cold 7) Netflix or Hulu? Netflix 8) Passenger or Driver? Passenger 9) Amusement Park or Day at the Beach? Amusement Park 10) Movie at Home or Movie at the Theater? Movie at Home

Prize: 3-months Audiobooks.com Subscription

The Perfect Culture Giveaway: 3-month Audiobooks.com subscription https://widget.gleamjs.io/e.js Jan. 21st: 4 the Love of Audiobooks Jan. 22nd: Eileen Troemel Jan. 23rd: Nesie’s Place Jan. 24th: Audiobook News Blog Jan. 25th: The Clipped Nightingale Jan. 26th: Jazzy Book Reviews Jan. 27th: Locks, Hooks and Books

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