The Small, Quiet Voice in the Dark.

A little over a year ago I developed a series of debilitating headaches that were diagnosed as 'Chronic Daily Headaches' - a condition similar to migraine. They came on a daily basis, hence the name, and required me to retire to a darkened room and wait for them to leave, which could take several hours. During this time reading was impossible, as was work, and playing with my two young children (thank God for my wife Naomi who shouldered this heavy burden with amazing patience and grace).

To fill up the hours spent in the darkness, as I was rarely able to sleep, I turned to podcast novels. The idea of being able to 'read' made me feel less desolate about the hours that were being wasted. Soon after making my way through Scott Sigler's 'Ancestor' I moved hungrily onto the '7th Son' trilogy by JC Hutchins and found that the spoken word, as opposed to music, eased my headaches and helped me to focus on characters and plots rather than the pain.

With a mixture of drugs, osteopathy, pilates, gym work, and prayer, the headaches are more under control now. although sadly still a problem, but the addiction to podcasts has only increased. I'd like thank those voices that helped carry me through the darkest part of the illness and the ones that continue to pick up the pieces now when the headaches rear. To Scott, Hutch, Mur, Tee, PG, Nathan, Seth, and all the others I will no doubt listen too in the future, a big thank you.

Also to Evo and the guys at www.podiobooks.com, not to mention Steve Eley over at Escapepod, the service you provide is of immense value to people like me. Gathering all these fantastic authors together in one place and then distributing their work for free has opened up the podosphere to me and blessed me immensely.

To see people like Scott and Hutch sign book deals at the end of the year was really special, and I firmly believe only the beginning. So please, will you raise your glasses and be upstanding for the magic that is podiobooks! Hip hip Horray!