Podcast Fiction from BMW... and it is GOOD!

Put on your seatbelt and prepare for highs, lows and plenty of twists and turns. BMW, in conjunction with Random House, brings you BMW Audio Books, a unique series of specially- commissioned short stories showcasing the work of some of the finest contemporary writing talent. Each gripping audio book is yours to download for free. Listen to them on your MP3 player, your laptop or ideally, in the car. So sit back, hit play and enjoy the ride.

BMW does Audiobooks! That's right, Bavarian Motor Works, the German guys who make cars, have released a batch of excellent podcast short stories. This is a promotion like their BMW Films promotion from a few years back. Solid name authors have been hired to create short stories with a specific model of BMW automobile at the center of the action. I've listened to all four of the released stories and I've liked each, the product placement is blantant and oddly pornographic, it makes you feel dirty, but kind of in a good way.

"Inspired by the success of BMWfilms.com and “The Hire” internet series of short films, BMW-audiobooks.com showcases some of the finest contemporary writing talent today, including Karin Slaughter (Kisscut, Faithless, Indelible), Don Winslow (The Power of the Dog, California Fire and Life), James Flint (The Book of Ash, 52 Ways to Magic America), and Simon Kernick (The Crime Trade, The Murder Exchange). The four debut short stories mix the best in BMW product with contemporary original literature."

Each story runs about an hour and was written exclusively for BMW Audiobooks. They can only be found in audio format, and haven't been released as a hard copy collection as of yet. This is download only folks. Here's the complete skinny...

The stories are:

Cold Cold Heart
By Karin Slaughter; Read by Megan Dodds
1 MP3 File - [UNABRIDGED]
Podcaster: BMW Audiobooks
Podcast: 03/23/2006:
"Best-selling author Karin Slaughter spins the dramatic tale of Pam and her ex-husband Jon, the now famous self-help guru who is also now dying. When on his death bed, Jon reveals deep, dark and painful secrets about his past, Pam exacts the ultimate revenge – for his next life. In this podcast, author Karen Slaughter reveals the real-life inspiration for this dramatic story."


The Debt
By Simon Kernick; Read by Burn Gorman
1 MP3 File - [UNABRIDGED]
Podcaster: BMW Audiobooks
Podcast: 03/23/2006
“The Debt is a gripping tale about a good-hearted former boxer who is caught untangling the troublesome webs of others. In this podcast, author Simon Kernick offers his personal techniques for short story writing, including plot pacing and making every word count."


Master Of The Storm
By James Flint; Read by Forbes Masson
1 MP3 File - [UNABRIDGED]
Podcaster: BMW Audiobooks
Podcast: 02/28/2006
“You” are the central character in James Flint’s Master Of The Storm, a gripping tale of new business success followed by familiar encounters – all too familiar. And just when you think you are out of the storm, you find yourself pulled deeper and deeper into the mystery which seemingly has no exit."

Beautiful Ride
By Don Winslow; Read by Kerry Shale
1 MP3 File - [UNABRIDGED]
Podcaster: BMW Audiobooks
Podcast: 02/28/2006
"Back then he was looking at a fat IPO and a boat. Back then he was rich. Back then he had a condo overlooking the ocean, a wife, and had just bought the BMW Z4 convertible. Cobalt blue, like the ocean on a clean, clear day in early spring. Now what he has left is the car. Ted's a real estate investor in Laguna Beach, California. He's been kicked out by his soon-to-be ex wife, his assets have been frozen by the IRS, he's holding on to his Beemer, but the car company's repo men want it back, and he's living in a tent. He's falling through the cracks of the 'Gold Coast' life, until he turns to money-laundering to get back in the game. Then things get worse..."

Now how to get them, you can download them directly from the BMW-Audiobooks website (but a free registration is required) or you can just do a search on iTunes using the search term "BMW."

posted by Jesse