Vatican Assassin – Remastered
Today we’re releasing a newly remastered edition of Mike Luoma’s Vatican Assassin. Why a remastered version? Mike says:
Back in September of 2006, I began podcasting “Vatican Assassin” as part of my Glow-in-the-Dark Radio podcast. Learning about digital audio and podcasting as I went along, the recordings were good, but in retrospect could have been better. In a misguided attempt at “tightening” the audio was also severely edited throughout the book. These recordings turned into “Vatican Assassin” on Podiobooks.com in 2007, and they’ve been downloaded over 106,000 times now. But when I finished the third book in my trilogy “Vatican Abdicator” earlier this year, and as I began to go through my files for upcoming downloadable audiobooks coming from Podiobooks.com (more info on that later), it became clear I’d learned a lot in the intervening three years since I’d recorded “Vatican Assassin” – it was time for a new edition!
I rerecorded the first ten chapters of the book – coming from a radio advertising background where you try to fit as much as you can into 30 seconds, my early reads were just too fast. The rest of the reads were fine, but the editing reflected my commercial background as well, there was no breathing room, no spaces! So I went back to the original source files for the rest of the book and re-edited them, restoring and/or adding “breathing room” to the reads. My noise reduction techniques have also improved over the years, so the entire book has been redone with improved (less harsh, more accurate) noise reduction as well.
Sounds good to me. Here’s the goods on Vatican Assassin – Remastered:
The First Book of The Vatican Assassin Science Fiction Trilogy. Remastered in July 2009.
Bernard Campion, aka “BC”, is an assassin for the Pope, struggling with his work’s inherent contradictions while trying to take care of “business” during an out of control interplanetary religious war in 2109. BC is a killer disguised as a priest of the New catholic Church. His current assignment? Eliminate the Governor of Lunar Prime, the free state on the Moon. BC has no idea this latest assignment will change everything…
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
July 31st, 2009 at 10:53 am
Here it is, my remastered “Vatican Assassin”! Many thanks to Evo for all his help getting this to you. The story hasn’t changed, but if you’ve heard the book before you might enjoy this more “relaxed” presentation. Thanks for checking out my book – please let me know what you think!
Mike
August 2nd, 2009 at 1:10 am
Mike, you going to remaster the other two books?
August 3rd, 2009 at 9:02 am
Hey Brian!
At this point I plan on cleaning up some of the early chapters of “Vatican Ambassador”. Nothing quite as extensive as the overhaul I gave “Vatican Assassin,” so it wouldn’t be a completely remastered situation. I think “Vatican Abdicator” sounds pretty good… what would you like to see happen?
August 3rd, 2009 at 12:55 pm
How about a book about The Project? would love to hear more of the back story about them.
August 3rd, 2009 at 1:45 pm
Thanks for the suggestion, Brian. Good to hear from you!
August 9th, 2009 at 9:15 pm
I’m happy to see Podiobooks.com team up with Smashwords.com – I’ve had my books available through Smashwords ever since I was turned onto their site a couple months ago. Their “meatgrinder” is especially impressive!
I also like that Smashwords lets me offer you the e-books for the price you choose to pay… for free, or for what you feel they’re worth. I’m still proving myself as a writer, so I’d rather you checked out what I’m writing than charge you for something you don’t connect with. If you like it, you can always buy another copy… just saying! Actually, people have been good, a lot of free downloads at Smashwords, but a lot of people paying between 1 to 3 bucks a book. The print copies are still selling and that’s awesome, too – thanks to everyone who’s picked up my books in paperback!
But I digress… this is a cool partnership!
Mike
August 19th, 2009 at 10:47 am
Just did a great interview, talking to Rhonda from Podioracket about “Vatican Assassin – Remastered” and all my books and projects. I’ve got it posted on my blog:
http://glowinthedarkradio.blogspot.com/2009/08/blog-post.html
November 4th, 2009 at 2:36 pm
Did you know you can get news about my books and behind-the-scene glimpses into my notes and notebooks when you listen to the chapters of ALIBI JONES on my Glow-in-the-Dark Radio Podcasts? You get the pure book, chapter by chapter, here at Podiobooks. If you want more, visit: http://glowinthedarkradio.podomatic.com/
ALIBI JONES is now also available at Amazon.com:
http://www.amazon.com/Alibi-Jones-Mike-Luoma/dp/0557122155
November 12th, 2009 at 2:44 pm
I go into detail about my new science fiction novel ALIBI JONES in my new column – just up over at Cosmic Book News:
http://www.cosmicbooknews.com/articles/mlmakingup11
There’s also preview art from my upcoming comics – including the graphic novel adaptation of VATICAN ASSASSIN!
November 17th, 2009 at 10:14 pm
Now you can read my books on your phone – Thanks to White Wolf Press and Mobipocket!
http://www.mobipocket.com/en/eBooks/AuthorDetails.asp?authorId=117289&authorName=Michael+Luoma
December 7th, 2009 at 1:58 am
I like the story.
I do not like the relentless writing in the present tense. Yeah, I’m an old fogey.
December 23rd, 2009 at 6:04 pm
Thank you, Juuro. I’m glad you at least like the story!
December 23rd, 2009 at 6:10 pm
“Vatican Assassin” is becoming a Graphic Novel! Artist Cristian Navarro and I are adapting the story, turning it into a comic book!
The first issue of the black and white comic book is available now at online comic book store Indy Planet (IndyPlanet.com). The pages will be appearing twice weekly as a webcomic at Drunk Duck (drunkduck.com) beginning January 1st.
More details at http://glowinthedarkradio.com... Direct link to the comic book: http://www.indyplanet.com/index.php?id=3144
Mike
March 2nd, 2010 at 11:35 am
Sorry this was not for me. Too simple. I managed up to chapter 10 and have deleted the rest.
March 20th, 2010 at 12:15 pm
Not sure why you felt like dissing the book, Graham, but thanks for trying it.
April 16th, 2010 at 11:48 pm
Mike,
Sorry just my honest opinion.
I try to rate and comment on all books I listen to on Podiobooks.
Some I like, some I love and others I don’t.
Yours was of the latter.
October 9th, 2010 at 12:47 pm
BC’s son Alibi Jones is back – this time in a new comic book! Earthbound Comics has just released the new anthology “Spacebound” – and my story “Alibi Jones: Blind Eye” – with spectacular art by Meisha – opens the book. The story is set BEFORE the events in the novel – it’s a prequel of sorts. You can read a preview of the first page here: http://glowinthedarkradio.com/AlibiJonesBlindEye_pg1.jpg
Spacebound #1 is available through Indy Planet:
http://indyplanet.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=4223
October 10th, 2010 at 11:20 am
A good listen all around. Thanks!
December 4th, 2010 at 6:01 pm
Thanks, gf!
March 5th, 2011 at 2:57 pm
In Vatican Assassin related news… My comic book short “Alibi Jones: Blind Eye” is now an audiobook short story! I’ve adapted the script from the comic as an audio short, and it’s free to listen to as part of my new Glow-in-the-Dark Radio Podcast:
http://glowinthedarkradio.podomatic.com/entry/2011-03-05T10_13_04-08_00
It’s 2135 – Alibi is in the SAIF (Solar Alliance Interplanetary Force) Mediation Corps. He handles negotiations between humanity and alien races, and occasionally oversees negotiations between alien races. He’s the adopted son of the former head of the Solar Alliance, Anita Capituna, his “Aunt Anita”.
At a diplomatic function he attends on his aunt’s behalf, Alibi hears talk of people buying into a new settlement. But the news sounds suspicious – could “Poyas” be more con job than colony? And what is Alibi’s old girlfriend Shirra doing messed up in it?
Read preview pages & find out more at http://alibijones.com. And as always there are more of my books & lots of free downloads at my website: http://glowinthedarkradio.com.
Mike
April 16th, 2011 at 2:19 pm
You may have noticed the spiffy new cover on my novel ALIBI JONES – beautiful new artwork by Federico Guillen. With this lovely new cover and a second edition, the first edition copies of ALIBI JONES are now-rare collector’s items… and I’m giving my last two away!
You can win a signed copy 2 ways:
1) “Like” ALIBI JONES on facebook. One of ALIBI’s facebook friends will be chosen at random to win one of the copies: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Alibi-Jones/142797717510
2) Email mike.luoma (at) gmail (dot) com and put “Alibi Jones Contest” in the Subject.
You can enter through the end of April, and you may enter both contests if you like. Winners will be drawn on May 1st and announced on May 7th on the Glow-in-the-Dark Radio Podcast.
Good Luck!