M.G. LEONARD READS CHAPTER ONE OF BATTLE OF THE BEETLES

I often get asked what it is like to record an audiobook, so when I went into the studio to record Battle of the Beetles, I propped up my phone and videoed myself reading Chapter One - Beetle Plague.

A useful video for classrooms or indeed if you are wondering if you want to read the third book in the Beetle Boy trilogy. 

To get the full effect of the audiobook please close your eyes whilst watching!!! LOL! Or for the full experience head to iTunes, audiobook or any shop that sells audio CDs to get the whole book.

Enjoy! And please forgive the poor audio and lighting, my phone is only a little media machine. The audiobook recording is far better quality.

Featuring illustration by Karl James Mountford.

If you think reading an audiobook looks easy, below is a short 2 minute video of all my bloopers! Thank goodness for the producer, Carolyn.

Authors4Oceans

I work hard to broadcast the message about the importance of insect conservation, but this is not the only area of our relationship with the natural world that concerns me. Anyone who saw the Blue Planet cannot help but feel the urgent need for change in our behaviours and habits, or we will destroy many species and habitats through laziness and ignorance.

I believe the state of the oceans is the biggest and most important environmental issue of our age and I am proud to be a part of the Authors4Oceans project founded by Lauren St John. It is a coming together of many authors and illustrators who feel as strongly as I do about this issue and we hope by uniting and leading a series of powerful initiatives we can effect change in people's behaviour and their use of plastic.

You can read more about the project in The Guardian.

Please do take the time to check out the website and follow our twitter, facebook or Instagram channels for more news.

How I overcame my fear of insects - ARTICLE for The Pool

Every now and then I write an article. Here's one I wrote for The Pool, which is a great online magazine that I contribute to occasionally. I decided to write about fear, and the way it controls us, but if we learn to understand fear it can help us with all sorts of things, like anxiety, or a fear of creepy-crawlies. You can read it here.

Overjoyed to have been invited on the Standard Issue Podcast

Me with Podcaster extraordinaire Mickey Noonan in the studio

I had a great time meeting the Standard Issue ladies and talking to them about beetles and other invertebrates.

You can listen here on Acast or listen here on iTunes

Standard Issue is the online magazine by women for women takes to the internet airwaves with its much-loved blend of opinion and humour.

WARNING: There is bad language.