Audiobook Edition of Francis Hamit's "The Shenandoah Spy" narrated by Gail Shalan, on sale May 9th

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. - April 20, 2013 - PRLog -- Francis Hamit’s exciting thriller about Confederate Army spy and scout Belle Boyd will be released as an audiobook, performed by Gail Shalan with John Zdrojeski, on May 9th, 2013.  It is the first audiobook narration assignment for both actors.  The 14 hour and 40 minute presentation will be available only as an MP3 download from Audible.com, Amazon.com and iTunes for $24.95. (Price may vary at some outlets.)

Francis Hamit worked closely with the two narrators over six weeks, to realize the vocal version of his fact-based novel about Belle Boyd, a 17-year-old girl from Martinsburg, Virginia who became one of the most notable personalities of the American Civil War, famed as much for her charm and seductive manner as her spying.  She was the first woman in American history to be formally commissioned a cavalry officer.  She attained this singular honor after working as an agent-in-place in the middle of a Union Army headquarters in Front Royal, Virginia.  There, she used her romance with a Union Army staff officer to detect Union Army plans to trap and destroy Stonewall Jackson’s Valley Army, and she risked exposure and life itself to deliver intelligence to him that enabled his famous Valley campaign. These events are the center of  “The Shenandoah Spy”.   Since its initial publication in 2008, this novel has received multiple five star reviews, and Hamit hopes the audiobook will find a new audience among listeners.  He says, “Gail and John were a joy to work with, very responsive to direction and completely professional.”

Both are recent graduates of the Theatre Department at Boston University, and, between them, voice over a hundred characters in this novel that recounts the 54 weeks between Belle’s first encounter with the Yankees and her arrest by the Union Secret Service. The novel is the first in a planned series about the Confederate Secret Service and the women who were its most effective agents.

Gail Shalan has a deep love for reading, especially out loud.  A part-time puppeteer, Gail loves finding new character voices and she adores the magic of language. She likes using her voice in every way (singing, speaking, making sound).  It is the core of her work as an actor.  Gail earned a BFA in Acting from Boston University and trained with the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts, Shakespeare and Company, and the Williamstown Theatre Festival. (Find out more at http://gailshalan.wix.com/gailshalan )

John Zdrojeski is an actor based in New York City.  Some of his previous credits include “Monster” (The Creature), “The Kite Runner” (Assef), and the title role in “Peer Gynt”. In addition, in January of 2012, John played Michael in a radio version of Brian Friel’s “Dancing at Lughnasa. Currently, he is rehearsing a new play called “The Choking Game” for the 3B Development Series at IRT Theater/The Colombo Company in the West Village in NYC.

For further information please contact Francis Hamit at (661) 242-1686 or by e-mail at francishamit@earthlink.net