Adding to our mix of fantasy audiobooks, we present Interview for a Wizard by J. A. Areces:
On Halloween night, the greatest vacation spot in the world is about to be scared to death. A dangerous and mad wizard has escaped from jail, and there is no one who can identify him. With only seven days left before Halloween, Jesse and wizard special agent Ch-U-Ch race to solve the mystery, but time is quickly running out.
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January 6th, 2008 at 10:47 pm
Ive been downloading various audiobooks from this website for a while now and this ones really gotten me hooked. Sure you have your normal wizard in human society stories but the way the author has this book set up will really grab you. I look forward to the next chapter.
January 7th, 2008 at 7:28 pm
Hey, P. Hernandez
Thanks for the comment. I’m very glad that you are enjoying the book.
January 9th, 2008 at 8:33 pm
Very interesting characters and a story line that is showing promise. Author has a rich and engaging voice but there are stumbles with English grammar, pronunciation, and some awkward word usages.
January 10th, 2008 at 2:57 pm
Hi Barry,
Thank you very much for taking the time to listen to my story. I am very glad that you are enjoying it. You are absolutely correct, I do stumble with my English grammar, pronunciation and there are awkward word usages. It drives me crazy!!!! I’m working on fixing it as I go along (not the smartest thing to do). The followup book, The Secret Society of Seven Sorcerers, is better. Again, thanks for listening.
Now, who do you think is Raven Claw?
January 11th, 2008 at 11:17 pm
Not sure. You are very gracious with fans and critics. Keep it up Gabriel!
January 22nd, 2008 at 5:31 pm
Just listened to the Prologue to The Secret Society of Seven Sorcerers. Sounds like you have all new equipment. Thanks to whoever granted my wish for a picture of the crystal ball.
I kind of miss the voice you have on Interview for a Wizard, it seems to add to that other-worldly atmosphere, but I am impressed at how hard you worked to make the changes.
Raven Claw? I was kind of hoping to have a few more clues before deciding. Ha! I was hoping you would tell me!
January 23rd, 2008 at 8:53 am
Hi! I’m really enjoying the book.
January 23rd, 2008 at 7:14 pm
Hi Gail,
First, I want to thank you for listening to Interview for a Wizard.
I’m very happy to hear that you are enjoying it so far.
I’m also happy to learn that you have a copy of Lord Bane’s Crystal Ball. I’ve been wanting to post it somewhere, but I just haven’t had the time to do it. That’s the way I see it, but now I’m curious if anyone else doesn’t imagine it different. I would love to see other versions of it.
And you also heard the prologue to the Secret Society of Seven Sorcerers…wonderful!!!!! So now you know a more than most about Lord Alex. The voice of that episode is Rob Suarez. You have to listen to his podiobook Murder by Design. It is awesome! http://www.robsuarez.com For being a FOLK, Rob is very talented.
Now, who is Raven Claw? I will tell you, but not now. I guess you’re going to have to wait…and listen.
January 23rd, 2008 at 7:21 pm
Hi Michael, Jessica, Gail and to the other listening FOLKS,
Thank you for listening to Interview for a Wizard. I am so glad to you are all enjoying it.
January 24th, 2008 at 8:43 am
The drawing of the Crystal Ball is found by following the link to the author’s webpage, for anyone who is wondering. From there, you can follow another link to listen to The Secret Society of Seven Sorcerers. (love that name)
I’m glad to hear it isn’t JA Areces doing the reading for SSSS, however embarrassing it is to be wrong!
January 24th, 2008 at 3:43 pm
Hi Gail,
Hey thanks for taking the time to show others how to find Lord Bane’s Crystal Ball, and the Secret Society of Seven Sorcerers.
I agree, Rob Suarez does an excellent job at recording that episode.
Thanks again for listening.
J.A.Areces
January 24th, 2008 at 4:05 pm
I agree! “Interview for a Wizard” is an awesome story and J.A. Areces does a magical job in his performance of the tale.
By the way… that voice doing the SSSS Prologue – yeah, that Rob Suarez guy can’t hold a candle to J.A. Areces!
ps: I’ve read book 2 and parts of book 3… you are all in for a treat!!!!!
January 27th, 2008 at 8:42 am
blush
January 27th, 2008 at 11:23 pm
I just wanted to comment about what a good story this is. I am really enjoying it. I listen to a lot of audiobooks and podcasts, but when I see that a new episode of Interview for a Wizard has dropped…all other listening obligations get postponed. I like the story and the reading. Excellent work, Mr. Areces!
January 28th, 2008 at 4:14 am
Why should I get absolutely nothing but silence on the latest episode? Disappointed as I really like this story so far.
January 28th, 2008 at 7:47 am
Try downloading the file directly from the site, Jennifer. There was an initial problem that was quickly corrected, but if your podcatcher grabbed it prior to the fix…
January 28th, 2008 at 3:06 pm
Hi MIchael,
You flatter me with your comment.
I appreciate very much that you are enjoying Interview for a Wizard.
There is no doubt in my mind that you have excellent taste.
Keep listening!!!!!!
J.A.Areces
January 28th, 2008 at 3:11 pm
Hi Jennifer,
I just wanted to thank you for listening to Interview for a Wizard, and apologize for the trouble with the last episode.
I blew it on my end, but I did upload a fresh episode again.
Try downloading episode 9 again, you should be able to hear it.
P.S. I just uploaded episode 10.
I HOPE ENJOY IT !!!!!
J.A.Areces
January 31st, 2008 at 9:00 pm
I’m enjoying the book a lot, But on Ep. 9 and 10 the audio levels between speaking and sound effects were not right the back ground music/sound effects when no speaking was happening were quite high to the point of me having to take a break from listening out of annoyance. Whats going on? and can you please make it stop? I really want to be able to listen through to the end
Otherwise like I said earlier I’m enjoying it a lot.
Thanks
Keep up the good story work
February 1st, 2008 at 12:12 pm
all in all I am enjoying the story. I understand English is not your first language, with that in mind I think you are doing great. I kinda think that there has to be a drinking game while listening to your story, take a drink every time you say “Alavans Wizards and Witches Corner Store”. Keep up the good work
February 1st, 2008 at 2:36 pm
Hi Glitch-Chaos,
Excellent feed back.
I didn’t pick that up on my end, but I will adjust it from now on.
I really appreciate all the comments that I receive, it only helps, and hopefully by the end it will sound gggrrreeeattttt!!!!
Thank you so much for listening, I’m glad you’re enjoying the story so far, it was fun writing it.
February 1st, 2008 at 2:45 pm
Hi David,
Dude, you cracked me up!!!
You are correct, it is mentioned too many times. This story was written for a contest that required a certain number of words, so I chose the longest store name I could come up with. I also had to write the whole thing within 30 days, so yes it needs plenty of work. As I read it, I constantly find myself making adjustments. I could use an editor.
You are also correct on the language. I am Cuban-American, so my mind is a mesh-mash of the two languages, not to mention all those magic spells I learned in Latin.
David, thank you very much for listening, and I am glad you are enjoying the story so far.
Let me know how your party goes, I wish I could be there.
February 1st, 2008 at 9:54 pm
Thanks for the responce. I’ll look foward to the next episode. I also would like to complement how well you are reading the book, given that english is not your first language. I think that is actually helping with the story telling because you have to pay attention to your words and pronunciation, where some authors would mumble or talk a little too fast, or miss a word or too. They don’t take the time Because it’s there native tounge.
So keep it up and thanks again
March 20th, 2008 at 5:21 am
So that’s the story behind the name of the store!
In real life, you would shorten it to “Alavans,” or “the Corner Store,” or even “the store.” But in this story it has never happened – you can’t change it now!!
Now us FOLKS can wonder who is having a party every time the store is mentioned.
Episode 14 just arrived and it was a very good one. Thank you, J.A.Areces!
March 23rd, 2008 at 1:03 pm
Hi Gail,
Thank you for your constant support.
In fact, thanks to everyone who is listening.
I never thought so many would enjoy Interview for a Wizard.
Here is some trivia. I got the idea of the store name from
http://www.alivans.com
check it out. I think you will be pleasantly surprised.
Enjoy the magic*
March 29th, 2008 at 8:18 am
Was enjoying the book so much then thought you must have been stuck when no more shows came. Turns out itunes dropped you like a bad habit (along with several other podcasts) glad to see it’s still going and can’t wait to get caught up.
March 30th, 2008 at 4:00 pm
Hi Kimberly,
Hey, I’m really glad to hear your back on track, but even more, I’m glad you’re enjoying the story. I’m not sure what’s going on with iTunes. I just checked it, and I can download Interview for a Wizard. Try it through your end again, maybe it’s working. Never the less, thanks for taking the time to drop a line. I’m about to upload the next episode soon. This is the one where we all finally find out who is Raven Claw. But you have to stick around for book two, The Secret Society of Seven Sorcerers, where you’ll learn why Raven is called Claw, along with some other great secrets. Yeah, I’m plugging the next book, which by the way, it also rotates around Halloween.
Enjoy the magic!
April 3rd, 2008 at 7:23 pm
I really enjoy the story and I like the characters as well. I like everything about it. I will be listening to this podiobook a second time.
Am I correct to assume this will be a series?
April 4th, 2008 at 6:20 am
Hi Erica,
Thank you very much for your support.
I am very glad that you are enjoying Interview for a Wizard.
There are only a couple of episodes left, so I hope you still enjoy it when its all over.
Yes, this is a series. The second book is called The Secret Society of Seven Sorcerers. It gets more involved with the wizard Ch-U-Ch, his family and of course Jesse. I think you will really enjoy it. I know that I enjoyed writing it very much. At the present moment, I am re-designing the website. When it’s up, it will have a preview of the second book. In the meantime, maybe you can help. I am trying to find a picture of someone flying on a broom. I’m not being successful. I’m afraid that I’m going to have to wait for the next new moon to capture a wizard or witch in flight.
Enjoy the magic*
April 5th, 2008 at 9:44 am
Wow! At first listen, I thought I would not like the author’s style, but I listened to the second episode because the storyline sounded promising. Before I knew it, I had devoured the first 16 episodes! The plot is suspenseful, the action is engaging, and the characters are amazingly real. Interview for a Wizard was an accidental find on my part, just a chance click on a link on the Podiobooks.com homepage, but without a doubt it is one of the gems of the podiobook community. I can’t wait for the next episode, especially since the 16th ended at the most suspenseful moment possible.
W. Redleaf
Master Wandmaker
April 5th, 2008 at 12:03 pm
Welcome, Master Wamditanka Redleaf
It is both a pleasure and an honor to have you visit and listen to Interview for a Wizard.
Your master work in wand making is well known in the wizardry world. I am very humbled by your kind words, and overjoyed that you are enjoying Interview for a Wizard.
I look forward to future visits. Please visit my website, and I would be more than honored to feature your site with a link once the site is up and working. Thank you again for your support.
P.S. Please hold on when Interview is finished. You’re going to love The Secret Society of Seven Societies.
Also, how do you feel about sharing with me your thoughts on wand lore with me?
April 7th, 2008 at 5:33 am
Hi FOLKs,
I just wanted to announce that my website has been updated. It looks really cool!!!!!!
Please check it out.
http://www.jaareces.com
Send in your comments, drawings or pictures. I’m hoping someone sends in a picture of a witch or wizard soaring on a broom.
May 4th, 2008 at 5:31 pm
I have been waiting for another episode, not realizing that the one on the 19th was the last! But now I can wait for the next novel. Thanks for all your hard work.
Your website is very nice, and if I could draw, I would send you pictures. What you have is good.
May 4th, 2008 at 7:02 pm
Hi Gail,
How wonderful to hear from you again.
I really appreciate all your support, and I am very glad that you enjoyed Interview for a Wizard.
Please feel free to put anything you like onto the website. You don’t have to be an artist. Maybe a picture, or short story…whatever.
I’m planning to release The Secret Society of Seven Sorcerers in October for Halloween. I’ll start recording it June. I’m really looking forward to it. I think you’ll like it more than Interview, I know I do.
Soooo, stay tuned till then, and please drop by the site or here from time to time just to say hello.
May 23rd, 2008 at 1:16 pm
Hi FOLKs,
If you finished listening to Interview for a Wizard and are just sitting around waiting for The Secret Society of Seven Sorcerers, then check out JC Hutchins 7th SON. A must listen. I recommend it highly. If you already heard it, then click on the link below and check out 7th SON Obsidian. Another must.
http://jchutchins.net/site/2008/05/14/promo-7th-son-obsidian/
June 2nd, 2008 at 4:37 pm
I really enjoyed this book. My first audiobook was 7th Son, and I found this book just as fun and listenable(is that a word? Should be.). I am waiting for the next book from you the same way I waited for the 2nd and 3rd book from JC. Hopefully you will put another Wizard book on Podiobooks…soon? I would suggest this novel to anyone over 14 and have told a number of people to check out Podiobooks and especially Interview for a Wizard. I guess while I wait for a new book from you, I’ll relisten to this one. I guess I just love unicorns.
June 3rd, 2008 at 3:10 pm
Hi Donna.
I am very glad that you enjoyed Interview for a Wizard.
Yes, I am going to but the sequel to Interview for a Wizard on Podiobooks. I will begin recording The Secret Society of Seven Sorcerers this month. I’m very excited about that. I plan to release it on Halloween this year. It’s not that far away, and along the way I’ll release a promo and things like that. You can always check my website now and then for more info. I would let you know what it’s about but…it’s a secret…everything has to remain a secret. I hope you come back and check it out. Put it on your calender! In the meantime, if you want to hear another good podiobook, listen to Murder by Design by Rob Suarez. Go to his site http://www.robsuarez.com. I think you’ll enjoy it. Now, unfortunately, there are no unicorns in the United States. As much as I know they were never brought over, but you never know if a brave wizard smuggled them in through portal. I doubt it tough. Once again, thanks for listening. I’ll see you this Halloween.
June 9th, 2008 at 5:34 am
As we all know, episode 19 was your last chapter for this book. Why, then, does podiobooks.com still show this as “In Progress”?
June 9th, 2008 at 3:06 pm
Hi Ross,
Honestly, I don’t know.
I’ll check into it for you. Yes, I guess it would somewhat annoying.
Ignore it in the meantime.
Instead, just mark your calendar for October. That’s when the Secret Society of Seven Sorcerers will be released…I hope.
December 2nd, 2008 at 11:48 am
Ch-U-Ch,
Thanks for a such a great read/listen. I just finished listening to the whole series for your first book, and I must admit that it hooked me.
As others have commented, there are a few grammatical glitches, and sound issues, but the absolute most important aspect was nailed: entertainment value.
I started listening with the intention of doing so every once and awhile while on the train and that was about it. Reality had me listening to it any chance I got: on the train, in the car, when on walks, etc.
Anyways, I just wanted to say thanks, and you can be sure that I will be listening to SSoSS with anxious ears.
-Achito
December 3rd, 2008 at 5:35 pm
Achito, I appreciate very much that you took the time to listen. It means a lot to me, and more that you enjoyed the world of Wizarding and FOLK. I hope you enjoyed the character Lord Alex as well? I thank you for your kind words and honest feedback. I look forward to your thoughts on The Secret Society of Seven Sorcerers. Thanks again.
January 4th, 2009 at 5:19 pm
Hey J.A.
I just started listening to this book and am loving it. I really look forward to jumping right in to SSSS as soon as I am finished. Great Job!
March 5th, 2009 at 7:14 pm
Hey Dan,
Thanks for checking out Interview, and I hope you enjoy SSSS. Thanks for the support!!!!!
June 23rd, 2009 at 5:41 pm
I love this book and I an currently listening to secret society and I love it too. i hope that you continue to write more.
June 28th, 2009 at 4:05 am
Very funny. I’m enjoying it despite the fact that I mixt up the order of the last 3 episodes
Keep up the good work.
August 10th, 2009 at 4:19 pm
Hi Audreayoda,
Thanks for listening to IFAW and SSSS. Yes, I am not currently recording the third book in the series titled The Sorcerer’s Secret. Look for it this Halloween 2009. Thanks for the support.
August 10th, 2009 at 4:21 pm
Hi Corina,
Thanks for listening to IFAW, and don’t forget to listen to The Secret Society of Seven Sorcerers afterwards. I think you’ll enjoy that on too. The mix of the order, I know what you mean, I hate when that happens.
November 2nd, 2009 at 7:12 pm
Story, pretty good
Narration, pretty good. Pronunciation didn’t bother me.
Repeating the name of the stupid store made me want to pop my own eardrums with a rusty nail. A good edit would fix all of this and the next.
A few too many mundane details all in a row. It’s cool if they are spread out more and not all in a clump. The same with how a character looks, etc. Much less bothersome than the store name thing.
About 1/2 of the book rolled along pretty well.
The music that kicks sometimes every 30 seconds is a bit much. It could be quite enjoyable with a few tweaks. Ok for determined listeners as it is now.
February 11th, 2010 at 5:06 pm
I liked this book alright but… something about it bothered me. Maybe it was the fact that the detective knew that someone was to blame for the deaths of people who were dying of heart attacks, maybe it was the use of “Driver’s wheel” instead of steering wheel, I don’t know. Like I said I really liked it actually, but there were some moments where I thought “This could use another pass by an editor” it’s not that it’s not a good story, the story is very good, but there are some phrases that distracted me from the story when I heard them, like driver’s wheel, and the fact that EVERYTIME the store is mentioned it’s mentioned by it’s full name. It’s one thing to have a character say “Welcome to Alavan’s Witches and Wizards Corner Store” but it’s another thing to have a conversation like the following(and this is an exaggeration not a quote): “Hello, welcome to Alavan’s Witches and Wizards Corner Store” “Thank you. I saw Alavan’s Witches and Wizards Corner Store from out on the street and thought I’d come in to Alavan’s Witches and Wizards Corner Store.” “Oh Well I hope you enjoy your time in Alavan’s Witches and Wizards Corner Store and if you need any help finding anything in Alavan’s Witches and Wizards Corner Store I’ll help you find it in Alavan’s Witches and Wizards Corner Store.” It just seems so unnatural that a character would think of the full name of the store every time they mention it, from personal experience I find myself referring to a store as “the store” after a short time. Like I said, this mostly acted as a distraction from the story and just pulled me out of the narration when I heard it.
But I would definitely reccomend the book to friends of mine, it’s very fun and once you get used to some of the more distracting elements it really has a good rhythm to it that is hard not to be caught up in. I am looking forward to starting the sequel.
February 18th, 2010 at 5:42 am
Hi Mike A.
Thank you so much for listening to IFAW and sharing your thoughts. I agree, the repeated name of the store is annoying, and something that I have to fix when I return to this story. Allow me to explain. When I wrote IFAW, I was competing in NaNoNaNoWritMo (or something like that), a short novel in 30 days consisting of 10000 words (or something like that). So, I chose a long name for the store and repeated it at least 1000 times to meet the goal. It worked. Imagine how I felt when I was reading the novel on podiobooks…ouch. Now the “driver’s wheel” is a new one. Like I said, I need to go back and cast an edit spell on the novel. Never the less, thanks again, and I hope you enjoy the other stories, The Secret Society of Seven Sorcerers and The Sorcerer’s Secret now live. Enjoy the magic!
May 6th, 2010 at 11:01 am
There’s an old saying, never judge a book by its cover. When it comes to this book, I am guilty. I’ve seen this book pop up numerous times when I logged onto podiobooks. However, I didn’t give the book a chance due to its cover. I thought it would be some kiddish story. I believe I was hooked from the first episode. In fact, I probably listened to the entire books within 2 days and I have already started the second book.
This book can be enjoyed by adults and children alike.
Great job Mr. Areces!
May 23rd, 2010 at 2:35 pm
Hi Ron,
I really appreciate you took the time to listen to IFAW and that you enjoyed it. I hope you also enjoy the other books to the Salem Concord Series. Believe it or not, that same wizard’s hat and staff are next to my desk in my office. I spend a lot of time on my computer and I like to keep my hat and staff close. My broom hangs over the glass sliding glass doors that lead out onto my terrace. It’s a quick grab when I’m in the mood to take a quick evening flight.
Enjoy the magic!
March 21st, 2011 at 9:34 pm
On Chapter 4 so far and it’s pretty good. A bit detailed but it’s good because it helps you to envision the scene. I will tell everyone I know about this story. It’s right down my alley. Great job and I’m glad this is a series.